Everything Has Changed
by onceuponastories
Summary: What if Regina and Zelena were full sisters? What if the curse happened years earlier? Who are the real villains? Who is the Savior? And what if True Love isn't strong enough to break any curse? In this story...Everything Has Changed
1. Chapter 1-At The Beginning

**Hello lovelies! Before you read this know that there re going to be implied and straight up mentions of physical, and emotional abuse in this story. There are also implications of marital rape. None of these afore mentioned acts are in anyway acceptable, and are purely fictional in this scenario. I own nothing of the Once Universe and all rights go out to those that do. Please let me know what you think! Happy reading!**

Chapter 1 – At The Beginning

"A Dark Curse?" Zelena looked across the room at Cora. "Is that our only option?"

"Your father has given your sister everything you were meant to have. Yes my dear, it is our only option." Cora smiled at her daughter. Henry had given Regina everything, he had ensured she was crowned Queen, but that didn't mean that Zelena would be left with nothing. No, Cora would make sure that her elder daughter got everything that she deserved. With Rumplestiltskin's help she was in a position to change her daughter's future.

The two women stood in the window of the castle overlooking the courtyard where Prince Henry was conversing with King Leopold's men as they loaded Regina's luggage. Little did she know that she would never get the chance to be a Queen. Zelena turned away from her wretched little sister and back towards the task at hand.

"What do I need to do Mother?"

"I have prepared everything for you. Only one ingredient is left." Cora retreated from the window and moved across the room towards the cauldron.

"What is that?" Zelena could see from her mother's movements that this was crucial. Something important was happening. "Mother, how do I enact the curse?"

"With this…" From the shadows a man appeared as Cora beckoned him forward.

"Daniel?" Zelena moved across the room towards the man that she loved. "Mother, what does Daniel have to do with any of this?"

"My dear girl, he is the key. In order to enact this curse you need one more ingredient." Cora smiled wickedly, getting rid of Daniel was an added bonus for her. Zelena didn't need any distractions in their, her, newfound happiness. "You must crush the heart of the thing you love most."

"No!" Zelena cried out and rushed to Daniel. "I won't do it. Loosing you is not worth it. I love you!"

"Zelena," Daniel took her face in his hands, "Zelena, I love you, and I want nothing more than for you to be happy. If this is your happy ending, then I am more than willing to give my life for it."

"No, Daniel, no. I love you, I don't want a happy ending unless you're there too." Zelena started to cry as she clung to his vest.

"Zelena!" Cora had had enough of her daughter's outburst. Zelena turned to look at her mother. "Zelena, take his heart. Now." The severity in her voice left very little choice in the matter.

"Daniel, I'm so sorry." Zelena gave him one final kiss, and then, before she could really think about what she was doing, Zelena plunged her hand into her lover's chest and took out his heart. With tears streaming down her cheeks Zelena turned away from him and back to her mother. "Now what? What do I do with it?"

"I told you before my dear. You must crush it." She extended her arm towards the cauldron. "Crush it over the cauldron and let the dust fall into the curse."

Zelena moved to the cauldron, but she couldn't bring herself to watch as she crushed Daniel's heart into the curse that her mother was determined would bring about her happy ending. Her dark curse began to take form as an ominous, billowing cloud began to rise from the cauldron.

"You've done it my dear!" Cora smiled at her eldest daughter. "Absolutely nothing can stop us now."

"Hee hee hee, on the contrary," both women spun around at the sound of the all too familiar laughter.

"Rumple! What are you doing here? You told me that this would work! That if Zelena cast this curse she would get her happy ending!"

"You're right, I did say that, but you forgot about the other thing I said. Remember dearie, every curse can be broken."

"How? How can this one be broken? No one is going to remember anything from this land. No one is going to have the power to stop us."

"Now, now, now, never underestimate the power of True Love my dear. It's a powerful thing. And from what I can see of the future, that daughter of yours has a power all her own."

"Why would I break my own curse?" Zelena seemed to have found her voice at last. "That doesn't even make any sense."

Rumple looked confused. "Who said anything about you dearie?" He shook his head back and forth as he laughed. "No, no, no my dear, your sister."

"Regina?!" Cora looked taken aback. She rushed to the window to watch as her younger daughter climbed into her new husband's carriage. Cora could almost hear the girl's laugh as she smiled at her young stepdaughter. "Regina is weak. She has no power at all. And as for love. Ha. That man will never love her, and I know for a fact she cares more for that brat of a daughter of his than she does for him."

"Yes, yes, yes. Things look that way now, but as you well know dearie, appearances aren't always as they seem. Hee, hee, hee." And with a flip of his wrists the imp was gone.

"Mother?!" Zelena rushed forward. "What is he talking about? How will she ever be strong enough to beat me?"

"She won't." Cora flipped her fingers towards the curse that was still rising and beginning to spread through the room. "She won't be able to stop us. True love. Ha. That's something she will never see." Cora's menacing laugh was the last thing that Zelena heard before her curse overtook her.

* * *

"Mother?" Regina turned towards Snow, she was starting to get used to being called that.

"Yes dear?" She smiled and reached for her stepdaughter.

"Are you sad to leave your family here? You love us don't you?"

"Oh Snow. Yes, I love you very much, and as for my family. I will miss my father, but we can visit each other often. It will be just fine."

"What about your mother? And your sister? Won't you miss them?"

Regina couldn't help but sigh. She wouldn't miss the women who had made her life miserable. In fact she was pleased to be rid of them, but she didn't want to burden Snow with her past. The carriage traveled on underneath her as she tried to decide what to say. She settled on a half version of the truth. "They won't miss me, and I have you to be the best girl in my life now. I don't need my sister around anymore." A beautiful smile graced her lips and she hoped, the young girl would believe her.

"Okay." Snow leaned against the wall of the carriage and looked out the window as they drove away from Regina's childhood home. "As long as you are happy, I will be happy too." She smiled as she looked back at her new mother. "I'm just glad I don't have to be alone anymore."

The young queen smiled. She knew exactly how Snow felt. A palace was never empty, but they could be the loneliest places in the world. Since the death of Snow's mother Regina knew that the young princess had been unhappy. She was determined that together they could find a way to be happy again.

The elder brunette turned to look back at her father's palace one last time. "Oh!" She saw the magic billowing out of one of the top most windows of the castle. "Leopold!" The queen called out the window to her new husband.

"Yes Regina?" The King rode up alongside the carriage in which the young woman was riding. "Whatever is the matter?"

"Magic," she pointed behind him to where the dark, flashing cloud was beginning to chase after them. "It's my mother, or my sister. Whatever it is, it won't be good if it catches up to us."

The King looked over his shoulder to where Regina was pointing. "Can we outrun it?"

"I don't know."

The King reached down and took her hand. "We will try." He rode forward to the front of the party. "Make haste, try and outrun that storm!"

Regina looked across the carriage at the scared young princess. "Come here Snow. Your father and the knights are going to do everything they can to get us out of here, but just get ready."

"Ready for what?"

"Honestly, I have no idea." The carriage lurched as the horses broke into a run. They weren't going to be able to outrun it. Regina was certain her mother would have made sure of that. The only question was why was it happening in the first place? She closed her eyes and wrapped an arm around the younger girl, who had moved to her side. Whatever was coming, whatever happened next, she would take care of Snow White. After all, she was a mother now, and that should always come first.

"No! Faster!" She heard the King's urging and knew the curse must be gaining on them. Regina couldn't bring herself to open her eyes. There were some things that you just never want to see. She felt the wind pick up, and she could hear Snow's tears as she held her close. Somehow without really knowing how she knew the Queen was sure of one thing. Nothing would ever be the same.

* * *

Light flooded into the room when Zelena opened her eyes. She looked around her, the dark grey room was nothing like she had ever seen, as she sat up the blankets fell off of her and she was even more surprised by what she was wearing. She rushed out of bed and into her closet, everything was made of the finest materials, but it all looked so different. It was then that she thought about how she got there. The curse, her curse. She rushed to the window. Everything, the entire town, belonged to her.

Zelena got dressed in her strange new clothes and left the house quickly; she wanted to find her mother. If everything had gone according to plan Cora would have all of her memories as well. Unlike everyone else in this town. Zelena smiled, it may be just the beginning, but at least she knew that Regina's happy ending was gone for good.

"Good morning Madam Mayor." Zelena looked up as someone addressed her. The cricket, or at least he used to be a cricket. She nodded in agreement.

"Yes, I suppose it is." She headed off briskly down the sidewalk. She was looking at everything around her. Nothing here even resembled the Enchanted Forest. The curse had done everything that had been promised. No one would be able to change Mother's plans.

"Oomph…" Zelena was knocked out of her own thoughts as she collided with someone on the sidewalk. "Oh I'm sorry," she looked up, "Regina?" Zelena took in the sight of her sister. She was still small, with long, dark hair and chocolate eyes, but something was different. Zelena could tell, something was drastically different about her baby sister, and that's when it hit her. Happiness, that's what was gone, the old Regina used to radiate happiness. Here, now, this version of Regina looked to be on the verge of tears.

"Oh, Zelena! Madam Mayor! I'm so sorry. It's entirely my fault, I wasn't watching. It won't happen again I promise. I'm so sorry!" Regina was stumbling over her apologies as she automatically stepped back from her sister.

Well, well, Zelena thought as she looked at the tiny brunette, what a way for the Queen to behave. She simply nodded at her and continued on her way. It turned out Mother was right, she could be happy here. Regina was beneath her, and she, Zelena, had everything.

As she entered City Hall she noticed that everyone working there stopped talking at once. Oh well, let them talk. They couldn't do anything about it anyway. No one could, this was her town, her curse created it. She was in charge here. Zelena opened the door to her office, only to find someone else already sitting behind her desk.

"Mother…" She breathed it out quietly, praying that Cora still knew everything. Suddenly hoping that she wasn't in this alone.

"Zelena!" Cora smiled at her. "It worked, the curse worked!" She was positively beaming with pride. "You did it! The town is yours, you can have everything we have ever dreamed."

Zelena smiled at her mother. She wasn't alone; there was someone there to continue to guide her. She had never had to rely entirely on herself and she wasn't sure she knew how. She did, however, know how to keep up appearances. "Mother, I believe you are in my seat."

Cora laughed, "Of course." She got up and dramatically ushered her daughter to the seat. "Madam Mayor. Have you seen your sister yet?"

"Yes, just now actually. She looks smaller here, not nearly as proud. She was apologizing all over herself, merely for bumping into me. She is…weak."

"Good. We can't have her any other way. Not after what that imp said about her being a threat to our curse."

"Well, don't worry about that. She doesn't look like any kind of Savior. She looked like she was about to cry. What did the curse do to her?"

"The curse itself did nothing. I, on the other hand, changed that darling husband of hers, for the worse. He may have been a kind and gentle King, but he is neither kind nor gentle when it comes to his wife."

"Mother!" As much as Zelena despised her sister subjecting her to abuse was awful. "You didn't have to make her miserable!"

"Isn't that the point of a curse darling?" She walked towards the doors as she left the new mayor alone in her office. "Besides, we can't have them loving each other. True Love is all too powerful." Cora left without waiting for a reply.

True Love. She had given up her true love to get to this land. To get everything she ever wanted. But how? How was she supposed to be happy, when the person she was supposed to be happy with was dead? "Daniel…" She whispered his name as she touched the ring on her finger. It was there, sitting in her office on the first morning of her curse to find happiness that Zelena began to cry.

* * *

Regina moved down the street silently. She had run into the mayor! She prayed no one had seen, that Leo wouldn't find out. She was already in trouble for burning his toast that morning; she didn't think she could take any more punishment.

She tugged the sleeves of her turtleneck down further around her wrists as she walked. Nobody could see the bruises. People would ask questions and the last thing she wanted was people getting suspicious. Her husband wasn't one to let something like that go lightly, and she was his wife after all. She didn't want to cause him any trouble. Besides if she took the brunt of his anger he would leave Mary Margaret alone.

The girl was only ten after all, and Regina tried to make sure that she didn't see her father when he came home drunk from the station or the bar almost every night. Regina was young herself, but she was the parent, well stepparent. It didn't matter; she had to protect that little girl. She loved her, and didn't want to see her innocent views of the world interrupted by her father.

Regina couldn't let anyone find out, not in a town this small. Not when her abusive husband was, in fact, the sheriff. There was no way out. It was an impossible situation. She sighed as she entered the library. This was the only place she felt safe. Here, with Lacey, surrounded by all of the books.

She knew that she couldn't stay long. Leo was expecting her to meet him for lunch at Granny's, but something was compelling her into the fiction section. She waved to Lacey on her way past the desk and kept moving towards the back. She pushed her hair behind her ears as she browsed through the shelves. Peaceful and content, she wandered aimlessly through the books, until she checked the clock.

She had wasted the entire morning in the library! If she was late to lunch she knew she would pay for it later.

She rushed out of the library and into Granny's just before the minute hand hit twelve. She had made it. They had lunch, made small talk with Ruby and acted like everything was perfect. Leo went back to work, and Regina headed for their home, back to her prison.

She was alone with her thoughts until Mary Margaret and her best friend Ashley came crashing through the door later that afternoon.

"Mother!" She heard Mary Margaret call out to her as she left the kitchen and moved up the stairs.

"Yes dear?" Regina answered from the living room and the girls came running in.

"Can Ashley stay for dinner?"

"Of course. Ashley why don't you go call your mother and tell her you will be staying?"

"Thank you, Mrs. Blanchard."

"No problem, dear."

The girls bounded back up the stairs as Leo came in the back door. "We have a guest." She muttered quietly as he passed her. He nodded, but didn't say a word as he continued past her to the other room.

The night passed uneventfully, and it wasn't until they were lying in bed, his arm thrown possessively around her waist and his leg pinning hers down that she had a chance to breathe. She fell asleep nursing a busted lip, and praying that she could hide the new bruises come morning.

* * *

And so it went on. Everyday like the one before. Zelena learned to lead the town, and Regina continued to be a dutiful wife. But if they listened carefully the citizens of Storybrooke could hear the mayor cry behind her office door every morning, and yet no one could ever hear their Savior cry herself to sleep under the weight of her husband every night.


	2. Chapter 2-Bruises

**Okay lovelies this chapter jumps ratings to M. There are things in this chapter that some people are not comfortable with. If the content bothers you then simply stop reading, I won't know! For those of you that are going to stick with me, and Regina, through the hard stuff, thanks so much! I promise the next updates will be closer together! Enjoy and Happy Reading!**

Chapter 2 – Bruises

Time passed, and yet it didn't. Days went by, the sun rose and set, seasons changed, and everything was exactly the same. Only Zelena, and of course Cora, noticed that nothing was changing. That in fact, though they were living and moving, they were frozen. Never changing, never moving forward.

Regina woke to the same white walls she had every day since she had married Leo. She tried to get out of their bed, only to find herself trapped beneath the weight of her husband. She lay there deciding what to do. If she moved him he could wake, and that wouldn't be pleasant, but if she didn't get up then when he did wake breakfast wouldn't be ready and there would be a punishment for that later on. She sighed. Mary Margaret would need breakfast before school as well, she was going to have to risk it.

She slowly moved her legs out from underneath his. He had had her pinned to the bed, so that she couldn't escape him. She slowly shifted her hips back and forth until only his arm was wrapped around her waist. She grabbed one of the throw pillows from the floor and she slid it under his arm to fill the space she had occupied. She stood up quickly and quietly made her way to their bathroom, careful not to wake him.

Once she was safely in the bathroom she took the time to assess the damage done the night before. He had come home late, much later than was even normal for him. She had fed their daughter hours before, but she had kept her dinner in the oven along with his. It would make him angry to have to eat alone. He had thrown the door open so loudly that she was worried he would wake Mary Margaret. She had met him in the kitchen, where he was struggling to take off his jacket.

When she reached up to help him he had thrown an arm out toward her. He had struck her cheek with the backside of his hand. "I don't need your help girl! I can take my own coat off!" She had instinctively grabbed her face, but she hadn't let the tears escape her eyes. She couldn't cry, not in front of him anyway. He would only take that as a sign of weakness, and she couldn't bear too be any weaker in his eyes. Instead she moved around the kitchen grabbing their dinner from the oven. He had eaten in silence, never once speaking to her, not even glancing her way. Regina hadn't minded, if he ignored her she didn't get hurt.

She had looked up when he grabbed her arm and wrenched her upright. "Upstairs, now." He had growled in her ear. A single tear fell from her eye as he shoved her up the stairs in front of him. She was grateful he had been walking soundly. She couldn't imagine Mary Margaret's reaction to seeing her father this way. They had barely reached their bedroom when his hands found her again. He had grabbed her waist and pulled her tightly to him.

She knew better than to fight him. It would only be worse if she did. He had kissed her sloppily and then shoved her away towards their bed. She stumbled and caught herself on the edge before she hit the floor. He advanced on her, lifting her so that she was lying back on the bed with him between her thighs. He had grabbed her legs and moved her around until she was where he wanted her. He then used his fingers to rip away her cotton shorts and her thin panties. She had been bare before him from the waist down.

He had loosened his belt and dropped his pants. He stood before her, ready and wanting. Two of his fingers had grazed over her before they dipped inside; he wanted her good and ready for him. When he was satisfied he removed his hand and brought it to her hip. Holding her in place as he forced his way into her. She bit back a cry as he thrust inside of her. She had lain underneath him, squirming and writhing to get away as he had had his way with her.

When he finished he had fallen to her side and lay there. His legs tangled with hers, both arms holding on to her tightly. She was his possession, to do with as he pleased. Nothing more.

Regina was checking herself over in the mirror now. The bruises on her hips and breasts would be easy enough to hide. Long sleeves would cover the ones on her arms and wrists, but it was her eye and the cut on her lip that were going to be harder to explain. She looked back at the bedroom door; she could hear Leo's snores coming from the other side of it. She grabbed her makeup and did the best she could to hide the damage he had done to her complexion. When she had done all she could do she quietly slipped from their room and went to make breakfast.

"Good morning Mother." Mary Margaret had come into the kitchen as Regina was taking the eggs off of the stove.

"Good morning dear. Did you sleep well?" She smiled at her stepdaughter. She loved that girl, and even if the man upstairs was awful to her, he had brought the two of them together. She would always thank him for that.

"Uh huh. Did Daddy come home last night? I didn't hear him."

Thank the gods for that, she thought as she scooped eggs onto the girl's plate. "He did. He's still upstairs. He wasn't feeling all that well."

"Is he going to be okay?" The look of concern on the young girl's face was touching. If only she knew who really got hurt last night, she mentally cringed at the thought. Unconsciously she pulled her sleeves down a little further as she answered her.

"I'm sure he will be his normal self when he wakes up." Nothing about what he did to her was okay, and she couldn't bring herself to say it was. This was as close to the truth as she was willing to give. "You need to eat. We can't have you being late to school now can we?" Her smile came easily as she looked into Mary Margaret's eyes.

"Nope," the younger girl tucked into her breakfast just as her father entered the kitchen. "Daddy!" She jumped down off her stool and moved across the room to her father. Regina was glad that Leo at least embraced the poor girl back. Mary Margaret loved him, and he often wanted nothing to do with her. She thought it must have had something to do with the child's resemblance of her mother.

"Get up there and eat Mary Margaret, your mother made you breakfast, you had better finish it."

"Yes, Father." The girl climbed back on her stool and continued to eat as Leo moved around the kitchen to stand behind his wife. Regina froze when his arms wrapped around her waist.

"Good morning Regina."

"Good morning. Your breakfast is over there." She pointed to the table across the room from where she stood. "We don't want it to get cold." Thankfully he released her and made his way back across the room.

"Do you have any plans for today my darling?"

"I'm going to take Mary Margaret to school, but then nothing. Why?"

"I thought maybe we could have lunch?" She sighed, they had lunch everyday, what made today any different?

"Whatever you wish." He nodded and turned back to his paper. She was almost thankful for his lack of interest. He didn't notice her shudder at the thought of spending time alone with him. Mary Margaret did though.

"Mother, are you alright?"

"Yes dear, it was just a chill." She smiled reassuringly. She would have to be more careful what she let show.

They moved through the rest of their morning routine like robots. They finished breakfast, Mary Margaret ran upstairs to get ready for school and Leo got ready to leave for the station. He moved past his wife on his way out the door, and he reached up to cup her cheek. It took all of her will power to stay in place and not pull away as he kissed her forehead. When he was out the door she let out a sigh.

How could he act like nothing happened? Like she hadn't had to cover the bruises on her arms and face this morning under quite a lot of makeup? How could he simply ignore the fact that he had raped her the night before in his drunken stupor? But that was just it. He was drunk. He probably didn't remember hurting her last night, or the night before. Or every night she could remember. But there was always something. Even if he wasn't drunk, there was something that he felt she needed to be punished for. He was her husband, he was supposed to love her, and cherish her, not beat and use her. But what could she do about it?

"Mother are you ready?" The younger girl pulled her stepmother out of her thoughts. "For school? I could go myself, but you always take me. Are you ready?"

Regina smiled down at the girl, "Of course."

* * *

Zelena was sitting behind her desk pouring over some budget or the other for the town meeting that was scheduled for that afternoon. She was miserable; time was standing still. That wasn't part of the plan. At least not a part she knew about. How was she supposed to be happy, find happiness, if nothing moved forward? She looked up when a knock came on her door. "Enter."

"Good morning Madam Mayor."

"Good morning Sheriff. What can I do for you?"

"It's your sister. I don't know what's come over her, she jumps at small things, and she looks like she wants to crawl out of her skin every time I touch her. Will you talk to her?"

Zelena looked up at Leo. Did he really not know what he was doing to Regina every night? No, she studied him as he stood before her, he knew. Mother would have made sure he knew, he just wanted to be sure no one else knew. She smiled at her brother-in-law. "Of course, I'll check in on her on my way home this afternoon."

"Thank you my dear." He moved back towards the door.

"Don't mention it." She smiled until it clicked shut behind him. Regina may have been the spoiled one, but Zelena did not envy her little sister this. She made a note to check in on her later that day.

Her thoughts drifted from Regina's failed attempt at love, to her own. She missed Daniel terribly. At first she thought it would get easier, that eventually, over time, the wounds would heal. But time can't heal anything when it is standing still. Looking around it could have been yesterday that she had ripped out the heart of her true love, or it could have been years. There was really no telling the difference in this wicked place.

Zelena shook her head to clear her thoughts as a single tear fell onto the desk. It didn't matter, what was done was done; there was no changing it now. Her happy ending wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. She sighed and put all thoughts of her sister and happy endings out of her mind.

* * *

Regina dropped Mary Margaret off at the school and made her way to the library. She had always felt safe among the rows and rows of books. She let herself get lost in her thoughts as she wandered through the stacks. She had made a habit of finding herself in the library everyday, but today, in the town where time stands still. The town where nothing ever changes, today, something was different.

Just like she did everyday Regina walked slowly by Lacey, giving her a shy smile. She moved to the fiction section. She had always felt drawn here, but today there was something even stronger. Something was pulling her forward to the very back wall of the library. Her right hand roamed the shelves as she ambled slowly along. A gasp escaped her lips when her hand fell on the cover of a brown, leather bound book.

She pulled it off the shelf and held it in her arms. It was rather large, and yet she didn't think she had ever run across it before. "Lacey?" Regina moved back to the circulation desk. "What is this?" She held the book out for the other girl to see.

"Once Upon a Time…" Lacey took the book from Regina and flipped through it. "I don't know." She turned around to check the card catalog behind her desk. "It's not in our system. It doesn't belong here."

"Would you mind if I borrowed it then? There is just something about it I can't quite shake."

Lacey shook her head, "It doesn't belong in the library at all. You can keep it." She handed the book back to the sheriff's young wife. She knew that the young woman needed something to occupy her time, she could tell, even though Regina would never say a word, that the young woman was terribly unhappy.

Regina smiled and took the large volume with her to meet her husband for lunch. Leo didn't notice a thing. He hardly paid any attention to his wife, and left her sitting there alone before she had even finished eating. She pulled the book out and began to flip through it, it was full of fairytales, oddly familiar fairytales…

She was looking through the book slowly and at first she didn't notice when her sister sat down in front of her. When she did look up Zelena's presence made her jump. "Madam Mayor!" She flipped the book shut when she saw where her elder sister's gaze had fallen. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm here as your sister not as the mayor." She reached out to touch her arm and Regina automatically pulled away. Zelena noticed the sudden flinch, "Are you okay dearie?"

Regina looked anywhere but at her sister. "I'm fine," she muttered.

"Regina?" Zelena was sure then that Leo had been abusing his wife. That part of her mother's curse was still holding strong. She took a deep breath. As much as she had disliked her sister she hadn't wanted this for her. Still, fair was fair, right?

"I'm fine. I'm sorry." She shook her head and stood up to leave. "I have to go." Before Zelena could say anything else Regina scooped up the book and headed for the door. Leaving her sitting alone in the booth.

What was that book? It looked like, fairytales… That couldn't be, there shouldn't have been any record of them here. No, Regina couldn't learn the truth. She had to do something. Now. She left the diner and moved quickly to find her mother. They couldn't risk anything, what if Rumple had been right? What if this was the beginning of the end?


	3. Chapter 3-Two Sparrows In A Hurricane

**Okay lovelies, I've had quite a few questions about this story and I'm going to answer some of them before I move on. **

**1) Leopold is fully aware of what he is doing to Regina, the curse just makes him think that it is acceptable. It makes him not care. Regina is tries to tell herself that he doesn't know what he's doing, but she knows that's not the case. He went to Zelena to try and find out if anyone else knows, because he's attempting to cover his tracks. He is the sheriff after all.**

**2) Ora has reasons for punishing Regina that haven't come to light yet. I promise there are reasons! You just don't get all the information at once. Be patient. **

**3) As far as Prince Henry being punished during the curse, I haven't even heard him mentioned since they arrived in Storybrooke. Have you? Hmmmm**

**4) And as for who shares True Love in this story, keep guessing, but remember, this town is a lot bigger than you think, and True Love comes in many forms...**

**As always, Enjoy! And Happy Reading!**

Chapter 3 – Two Sparrows In A Hurricane

"Mother!" Zelena's voice rang out in the front hall of her mother's home. She knew Cora had to be here somewhere. "Mother!"

"Stop shouting Zelena!" Cora appeared at the top of the staircase. "What is the matter my dear?" She looked hard at Zelena, it was clear that the mayor had been rushed.

"It's Regina! She has a book!"

"A book? My dear, I don't see the problem. Your sister has always been a bookworm. Are you just realizing this?" She chuckled, but Zelena was serious.

"This isn't a normal book Mother! She has a book of fairy tales."

"My dear fairy tales exist in every realm. I took the time to look into this realm's versions when we first arrived here. Believe me, she won't recognize a thing."

"Can we really take that chance? After what Rumple said about her breaking the curse can we really let her read our stories? Let her see our history, and not do anything about it? What if she remembers something?"

"My dear, even if she were to somehow remember who would believe her? She would sound like a crazy person. Our dear sheriff would putU an end to her ramblings before they gained any merit." She shook her head at her daughter. "Relax my dear, nothing is going to happen."

"That's the other thing Mother, nothing ever happens here. It can't! We are frozen, stuck in time repeating the same day over and over again in various forms. How am I supposed to find my happy ending here?"

"My dear this is your happy ending! You have all the power, your sister is no longer a spoiled little girl, you can have anything you wish. What is left?"

"Love Mother! What about love? I gave up my true love, you took love away from Regina,"

"I did no such thing. There was never any love between the king and your sister. Affection perhaps, fondness yes, but never love."

"It doesn't matter! In a town that was supposed to bring about my happy ending you'd think at least someone would be happy!"

Cora's hand made a sharp crack as her palm met Zelena's cheek. "You will not raise your voice to me! You may be the mayor, but let's remember who is really in charge in this little town." She looked her daughter square in the eye. "Don't forget Zelena, you are nothing without my help." She backed away and made to climb the stairs. With her foot on the first step she turned over her shoulder, "Run along my dear. How ever will the town survive without you?" The echo of her laugh followed Zelena out the door.

* * *

Regina had taken the book home with her; there was something oddly comforting about the stories it held. Stories of Kings and Princesses, dragons and knights, ogres and sorcerers. To Regina it seemed like the stuff of dreams. She sat in the living room of their great house flipping casually through the pages, stopping if something caught her eye, but not completely focusing.

Zelena had suspected today. When she had reached for her arm and Regina had automatically flinched. Something about the look in her big sister's eyes said she knew. What was she going to do? What if Zelena brought it up with Leo? She couldn't bear to think about the punishment that would ensue from someone finding out his secret.

She tugged at her sleeves, as she often did when she thought about her husband. She tried to remember why they had married in the first place, but failed. It must have had something to do with Mary Margaret, but why choose a bride young enough to be her sister? She knew why, the bruises on her arms, hips and breasts told her why. She was young, and she had only wanted to please him at first. Now though, she couldn't remember why she stayed.

"Mother!" The girl's sharp voice broke through Regina's thoughts. She smiled softly, that was why. She couldn't live with herself if anything happened to that little girl.

"In the living room!" Mary Margaret came tumbling in, leaves caught in her long black hair, and Regina laughed. "Did you get caught in a cyclone?"

The little girl laughed too as her stepmother picked the red and orange leaves from her curls. "No, but it's so beautiful outside, may I go out and play?"

"Do you have any homework to do?" Mary Margaret shook her head smiling; "Alright then, I will call you in before dinner."

"Thank you Mother!" The girl left the room almost as quickly as she had come in.

The afternoon stretched into early evening and Regina was making dinner when she heard the door open. A wind blown Mary Margaret slumped inside and sat heavily on one of the stools. She rested her chin in her hand as she watched her stepmother finish dinner. She noticed the large, brown book sitting on the counter and pulled it towards her. "What's this?"

"I'm not sure. I found it in the library this morning. It didn't belong there, so Lacey allowed me to take it." She smiled as she watched her stepdaughter flip through the book, the girl loved to read almost as much as she did. "You may read it if you wish."

"I'd love to!"

"After dinner. Right now, I'd like you to wash up and set the table please. Your father called, he will be home in a few minutes." She pointed the spoon in her hand at the book. "You can take that up to your room with you."

"Okay!" The girl ran off up the stairs and Regina heard the water turn on and off in the bathroom before she reappeared. With a kiss to her stepmother's cheek Mary Margaret went to setting the table.

"Hello girls." They both looked up as Leo came in the back door. "It smells great." He smiled at Regina as he made his way to the sink. She shook her head behind his back. She would never understand him. He could be so sweet and charming and caring, and then they'd end up alone and he was a completely different person. She let out a small sigh, and went about putting dinner on the table.

If anyone had watched through their window that evening they would have seen what appeared to be a nice, normal family. Parents' laughing as their child tells them about school, adults making polite small talk as they finish eating. Husband heading to the living room as his wife cleans up the table, and the girl heads upstairs.

"Mary Margaret?" Regina entered her daughter's room with a soft knock. "Would you like me to braid your hair?"

"Yes please." She shifted on the bed so there was room for the older girl to sit down. "This is an amazing book Mother! Did you get a chance to read it?"

"I skimmed through a couple of the stories, they are just fairy tales my dear, but I'm glad you are enjoying them." She smiled as she ran a brush through the girl's black locks.

"But they are not just stories! Look!" She flipped the pages until she reached almost the end of the story. "Look at the new Queen! She looks just like you!" She pointed to the illustration in the book. Regina glanced down, the queen was young and her hair was the same, but it was more like a painting than anything. It didn't truly look like anyone.

"My dear, I am most definitely not a Queen." She kissed her head. "But you are a sweet princess, that's for sure." She finished braiding her hair.

"AAll right Little Bird, time for bed." She took the book and set it on her nightstand. "I will see you in the morning. And remember, I love you a million Swedish Fish." She pecked her on the nose and made her way to the door. Just before she turned off the light she heard Mary Margaret answer.

"And I love you a million red M&amp;M's."

Regina crossed the hall to their bedroom and slipped into a comfortable pair of pants and a t-shirt. She made her way back downstairs to tell Leo she was going to bed as well. She smiled softly to herself when she found him asleep in his armchair.

She ascended the stairs silently and reveled in the fact that she may actually sleep in peace. Hours later she felt the shift in the bed when he joined her, but he simply wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. Throwing his leg over hers and trapping her to him. He wasn't violent, or cruel, but when she awoke the next morning, she felt just as trapped as she had the day before.

* * *

The tears on Zelena's cheeks were still glistening when her office door opened. She wasn't expecting anyone for a couple hours, and the sound of the hinges squeaking caused her to spin around in her chair. "I'm sorry, I'm awfully busy I," she stopped short when she saw it was Regina standing in front of her, "Regina, what do you need?" It wasn't harsh, but her tone was not inviting either.

Regina cocked her head to the side as she stepped closer to her sister, "Have you been crying? Zelena what is the matter?" No matter their relationship, she still cared for her older sister.

"It's nothing, it's silly, and I'm fine. Really, don't worry about it." She planted a fake smile on her face and turned towards her sister. "Why have you come?"

"I wanted to talk, about yesterday, at Granny's? I don't know what you think you saw, or what I lead you to believe, but…"

"Regina stop. I have to be honest with you, Leo asked me to check up on you. He seems to think that you are holding something back from him, he doesn't want to see you hurt." Okay that was a bit of a stretch and she knew it, but she couldn't tell her the truth. She stood from her chair and moved towards her sister. "Regina, are you alright?"

The younger woman's chocolate eyes came up to find the ice blue ones staring at her. "I'm fine." She smiled, "Thank you for taking the time to check on me yesterday, but it won't be necessary from here on. Leo can ask me himself if he wants to know anything." She turned on her heels and left the office with Zelena staring after her.

Where had that come from? In her entire life Zelena had never seen Regina speak to anyone with that much power in her voice. She had always been quiet and soft-spoken, simply going along with what others said. The young woman that had just left, had hardly seemed quiet, she had seemed…regal.

Zelena's head snapped up. That book! Whatever that book was it had something to do with the way that Regina was acting. She knew she had to get her hands on it. To look at it further, if her suspicions were correct, it was going to show their history, it would reveal all of their secrets, and she didn't want that. She shook her head at the thought of everyone in town suddenly waking up and remembering. They would turn on her; they would stand behind Regina. Zelena couldn't let that happen.

She gathered her things from her desk and followed her sister out the door. She had to find out what was in that book, and she knew just who to ask for help.

The library was empty expect for Lacey and much to Zelena's surprise, Cora. "Madam Mayor!" Lacey had looked to the door when she heard it open. "What a pleasant surprise. What can I do for you?"

Zelena glanced at her mother, who was busy pretending to work her way through the fiction section. She leaned in closer to Lacey and spoke softly, hoping Cora wouldn't hear her. She had told her not to worry about it, and Zelena wouldn't put it past her to remind her in public. "My sister had a large, brown book with her at lunch yesterday, I was wondering if she had brought it back, or if you knew anything about it?"

"I'm sorry, I don't. She found it here yesterday, and neither one of us had ever seen it before. Since it wasn't in my system I told her to take it with her. As far as what it was about, I only looked at it for a moment, but I believe it was fairy tales. I would imagine she gifted it to your niece, it seems like something she would enjoy."

Zelena looked at the young woman carefully, she didn't think she was lying, she had no reason too, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she knew more than she was letting on. That somehow she was in on this whole thing, whether she knew it or not. She nodded and moved towards the door, "Thanks anyway."Z

She still had to find that book. It had caused something, an almost imperceptible shift. Zelena knew no one else would notice, but this was her town, her curse, and she could feel it changing.


	4. Chapter 4-Everything That Glitters

**Hey lovelies, so I finished my other story Never Really Alone this weekend, so this is my only focus for now. That means theoretically chapters should come closer together, we shall see. In this chapter it jumps back and forth between present day Storybrooke, and the week leading up to Leopold asking for Regina's hand. Enjoy! And as always Happy Reading!**

Chapter 4 – Everything That Glitters

Cora followed her daughter out of the library. Zelena was preoccupied, way to worried about this book and the dangers it posed for their future. Cora had been through every inch of that library, and she had never run across a book like Zelena was describing. Maybe, though she would never admit it to her daughter, maybe there was some merit to her worries. If this book really was different, really was changing things, well, that wouldn't be pleasant for anyone.

-o-o-

"Cora! Cora, where are you?" Henry was rushing through the castle looking for his wife. The King was to arrive in the morning on his summer tour, and there was much to be done.

"We are in here Henry." Her answer came from the library, and when he entered he found that all three of the women in his life were curled up on various lounges, reading. "What could possibly be causing you to run amok throughout the palace calling out? That is highly undignified, and definitely below your station my dear." Her chastising look had little effect on her husband.

"We are to have guests on the morrow my darling. The King, the Princess and their entourage will be arriving just after sun up."

Cora flew from her seat and started yelling at the servants. There was no time to be angry with Henry, she would worry about that later. Right now she was determined to present their home, and their family in the best possible way to the recently widowed King. "Girls!" Two pretty faces shot up to meet their mother's gaze. "Go to your rooms and find something suitable to wear. You must make a good impression on the King."

Both girls rose and headed for the door. Henry let Zelena pass him, but caught Regina's arm on her way by. He whispered in her ear, "My dear. Tomorrow your sister is going to try and win the heart of the King, as per your mother's instructions. If you ever want out of here, away from them, I suggest you win the heart of the Princess." When he let her go she nodded once and made her way up the stairs behind her sister.

"I saw that Henry."

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"You, coaching Regina. She is the spare Henry, and a poor, non-talented one at that. You should be focusing on Zelena. If we want either one of our daughters to make a good marriage, maybe even to the King, it should be her."

"Her magic does not make her better than her sister. Her magic has made her dangerous, much in the same way yours has made you cold. They are children Cora, and I will not let you favor one of our daughters so strongly over the other."

"Let me! Let me! Everyone knows who holds the power in this castle Henry, and it surely isn't the Prince!" She swept past him and went to using her magic to speed up the preparations for the Royal party's arrival.

-o-o-

The bell over the door in the pawn shop jingled as it flew open. Cora stormed in and marched straight up to Mr. Gold. All of this time he had claimed not to remember who he was. Insisting that he was a simple pawn broker, but Cora had had her suspicions, and she was going to make him answer her again. "Mr. Gold."

"Good morning dearie, what can I help you with today?"

"I have a question Gold." He simply looked at her, waiting for her to ask. "There is a book, that both of my daughters seem to have taken a particular interest in, would you know anything about that?" She watched him carefully, but he was just as careful to not give anything away.

"A book. Well, books are mighty powerful things dearie. If looked at closely they can open up the mind to many possibilities."

"That's what I was afraid of." She muttered and turned towards the door.

"Happy to be of service dearie," He waited until the shop door had swung closed behind her. "Have a nice day, Your Highness."

Oh yes, he knew the book she was talking about. The book that had the power to bring about the end of this curse. To set them all free. He knew, and if he knew that meant that Regina had found it. Whether or not she knew she had, she had started them all down a path from which there was no return. It was coming, the final battle was about to begin.

-o-o-

"Zelena! Regina! Get down here! Now!" Both princesses came out of their rooms and headed down the stairs to meet King Leopold and Princess Snow White. Regina had listened to her father's advice. Instead of wearing a low cut, jeweled gown like her sister, she was wearing a dress fit for horseback riding, and playing with a young girl.

When they arrived in the Great Hall Cora scoffed. She needn't worry about Regina outdoing her sister for the King's affections. There was no way her younger daughter would make a better impression than her precious Zelena. Together the three women turned to face the doors and quietly they awaited the arrival of the King.

They heard footsteps approaching, and the sound of Prince Henry's voice as he spoke with the King. When the three women came into view the party stopped. "Your Majesty, may I present my wife, Princess Cora," Cora kept her eyes averted, as she curtseyed, she couldn't bear it if the King recognized her. "And my daughters, Zelena," her curtsey was so low that she practically sat on the ground, "And Regina." Her curtsey was low, but not as low as her sister's had been.

"Thank you, ladies for your gracious welcome into your home."

"Of course Your Majesty," Zelena smiled, "It is an honor to have you here."

He nodded at her before continuing, "And I would like to introduce my daughter, Snow White." The little girl came out from behind her father. With dark ebony curls, and blood red lips, she was a very pretty child.

Regina was the first to address the girl, after all, her father had told her to impress the Princess, not the King. Much to everyone's surprise she crouched down in front of the little princess and smiled. "Hello Princess, I'm Regina."

"Hello Regina."

"What is your favorite thing in the whole wide world my dear?"

"Oh goodness, I don't know. I really love horses." The Princess's smile grew wider.

"Well, I'll tell you a secret." She smiled, "I like horses too." Regina stood once more and looked to the King, "If it is alright with your father, I would love to take you to the stables for the morning if you would like."

When she met the King's gaze she couldn't help but notice that the walls that had been built up in his eyes when he first entered had fallen just a little bit. "If Your Majesty would allow it of course?" She curtseyed again slightly.

She could hear the smile in his voice as he answered her, but she dared not meet his eyes again. "Snow, would you like to go with Regina?"

"Oh Father, could I? Yes, please!"

"Very well." The Princess hugged him and then reached out and took Regina's hand. The two started to turn away when the King called out, "And Regina,"

"Yes Your Majesty?"

His smile really did meet his eyes this time, "Thank you."

Her answering smile was hidden when she nodded her head, but she couldn't help but think that maybe he had seen it.

-o-o-

Cora was determined to find the book now. Gold had not eased her fears on the matter, if anything he'd made them worse. Books were powerful tools. They could both mend and destroy, and for herself, and Zelena, Cora was sure she knew on which side this particular one would fall.

She figured she would have to be rather discreet about it. She didn't want to seem too invested in Regina's life, considering she ignored her most of the time, and she didn't want Zelena to see that her new found fears were justified. She would have to go about locating and examining the book quietly. Now the only problem was getting ahold of it.

It was the middle of the day and she knew the Blanchard's home was empty. Mary Margaret was at school, and Leo and Regina always met for lunch. She took the opportunity to try and find what she was looking for.

Cora went through every room of her daughter's home. She opened cabinets and drawers, even rooted around in closets but she came up empty handed. Her frustration grew with every dead end. She needed to see the book, needed to make sure that Regina didn't find out the truth. If she did, well, the consequences of that were not something that this town was ready for.

She left the house empty handed moments before her daughter arrived. Regina unpacked the groceries she had stopped off to purchase and went about putting them away. As she did she thought about what had happened with Zelena that morning. She never spoke to anyone that way. She was always quiet and kind, but this morning she had stood up for herself. She had told her sister to back off.

Something had changed in her over night. She was more confident, more self assured. She didn't think she was strong enough to stand up to her husband, but she had walked away from her sister. What had changed? She thought back to everything she had done yesterday. Everything that had been out of the ordinary. Every day she could remember had been exactly the same, only yesterday had things had changed. Yesterday a mysterious brown book had come into her life, and somehow, some way, something had shifted.

-o-o-

The King and his entourage had stayed the entire week. It was a great complement to their household to have them stay for that long, but the Princess was happy there and the King would do anything to see her smile again.

Their last night in the castle Cora had arranged for a party of sorts. Other nobles from the area had arrived and there was to be dinner and dancing and all around merriment. The party had lasted well into the evening and the King could see that Snow was growing tired. He decided it was time for his last surprise of the visit.

He signaled the band and they stopped playing, everyone turned to face him as he stood from his chair. "Thank you everyone for attending this celebration tonight, and thank you to Prince Henry and Princess Cora for their gracious hospitality this past week." He reached out and put a hand on Snow's shoulder. "My daughter and I are grateful for the time we have spent here, we will never forget these happy times." He looked down at her and she smiled.

He stepped out from behind the table and made his way to the dance floor where Zelena and Regina both stood with their dance partners. He continued to address the room as a whole. "It has been a rough year for my lovely daughter, but these past few days I have seen life, and light return to her eyes. Because of that I have come to a decision," he gestured towards the side of the room and a steward came forward carrying a small gold box. "There was a sense of family here, a sense of belonging and comfort that my daughter seemed to enjoy. It has been a year since the passing of our late queen and it is here that I have found someone to take her place in all of our lives. So," he opened the box and took out a beautiful diamond and gold wedding ring.

Zelena gasped and started to step forward, only to stop suddenly upon hearing the King's words. "Regina, from the moment she first met you, you stole my daughter's heart, and in doing so you managed to awaken mine." The King sunk to one knee in front of the petite brunette. "Regina, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Zelena's outrage was poorly concealed as she looked up towards Cora. The shock on her mother's face grew even more pronounced when Regina answered, "Yes Your Majesty, for the Princess has captured my heart as well."

The King took her hand and slid the ring into place, upon standing he signaled the band to play once again. It wasn't that he loved her, though one day he thought he might, it was that she made Snow White smile. When he had first thought of taking one of Henry's daughters to be his queen, the logical choice had been the elder, but then he had seen her. The way that she had shown an interest in his daughter that no one else had.

He had known then she was special. She wasn't done up in ribbons and jewels. She hadn't tried to make herself stand out. She had been young, and kind, and beautiful. He had made his choice, and Regina was to be his Queen.

-o-o-

"Mother," They were sitting on Mary Margaret's bed, Regina brushing the younger girl's hair, "Are you sure you are not a Queen?"

Regina laughed, "What?"

"A Queen? The Queen in my book, well the second Queen, the first one died. She is an awfully lot like you."

"Like me?" Regina tickled her side and the girl laughed, "Like me? Really? How?"

Mary Margaret caught her breath before she answered, "Well she's young, and she's pretty, they say she's the fairest of them all." She looked up at Regina, "I'd say that's right."

"Mary Margaret!"

"What? You're pretty! Anyway, she has long hair and brown eyes, and she loves horses. She has an evil mom and a wicked sister, and she loves to read. Don't you see? She's you!"

"Just because all of those things are things we share, doesn't make me the Queen in your book dear."

"Oh really, but what if I share things with the Princess, and Daddy shares things with the King, would you believe me then?"

"What are you talking about Mary Margaret?"

"The Princess, she is just like me! And the King, he's just like Daddy!"

Regina took the book from her daughter and put it on the nightstand. "Alright Little Bird, that's enough stories for tonight." She tucked her in and gave her forehead a kiss. "I love you, a million Swedish Fish."

She smiled when she heard the familiar answer, "And I love you a million red M&amp;M's."

She considered taking the book with her, but thought better of it. She didn't want Leo to take it away from Mary Margaret. She figured she could check it out tomorrow while her daughter was at school. After all, there was something very strange about it.


	5. Chapter 5-Cold Like That

**Alright lovelies, for all of you that want to know why Cora hates Regina so much, here is part of their backstory. Keep in mind that this isn't their whole story, it's just three little pieces to the puzzle. Remember, not everything gets revealed all at once. As far as 4x19 goes, I'm in denial...but the best part of my story is that Everything Has Changed! Let me know what you guys think! Enjoy! And Happy Reading!**

Chapter 5 – Cold Like That

Mr. Gold stood on the sidewalk facing up towards the clock tower. 8:15. It had read 8:15 for as long as they had been here. And yet he remembered. He knew exactly who he was, what had happened and who had done it. Someone was starting to believe, but he looked at the clock again. It hadn't moved, nothing had changed, but they were very close. One more move, he looked down the street to where Regina was seeing her daughter off to school, one more move on the Savior's part and time would start again.

* * *

"Very good dearie! Soon you won't need me anymore."

"Oh Master, don't say that! I need you now more than ever!"

"What are you talking about dearie? Your magic is stronger than it has ever been. You are getting better and better with each passing day."

"Don't you see? Can't you tell? That's why I need you! I'm with child again, and ever since I found out my power has been ever increasing!"

"And so it has come to pass…"

"What has come to pass? What are you talking about Rumple?" Cora was desperate for answers. Her powers had increased when she had been carrying Zelena, but nothing compared to this, and certainly not this early on. "Why is this time different?"

"I have seen this. This baby you are to bear, and I must say, I am impressed."

"Impressed? Impressed with what?"

"Why, her of course!"

"Her? Another girl then? Wonderful…" Cora's expression said otherwise. Another daughter was not something she either wanted or needed she needed a son. Henry needed a male heir. She grumbled in frustration. "What makes her so damn impressive?"

"Why, her power of course. I know you can feel it dearie, it is magnifying your own. She is making you stronger. Not only that but I have seen her, I have heard what they will call her." He grinned devilishly at the miller's daughter. "They say she will surpass even you in beauty dearie, for they call her, 'The Fairest Of Them All.'"

"Is that why you are so impressed with her, her beauty? My dear Rumple, I thought you of all people would know that appearances aren't always what they seem?"

"Oh true dearie, but I have also seen her future, and what they say is correct. She will grow in grace and beauty, to be the fairest in the land, for that is what the people expect," he paused, "Of their Queen."

"Their Queen?"

"Oh yes my dear, for one day she will have everything you never could."

* * *

Zelena was at a loss. She knew that her mother was looking for the book, the same book that she had told her to not mind in the least. Her mother had lied to her. She had every reason to worry. If she didn't, then Cora wouldn't have gone to see Mr. Gold. She wouldn't have broken into Regina's home yesterday. Oh yes, she knew about that. As much as her mother had Zelena under her thumb, Zelena had those that were willing to work for her as well.

She knew that Cora had run from one end of town to the other, trying to find out what that book contained. The mayor made her way down the street towards her office. She had just seen her sister put Mary Margaret on the bus, and then head off down the street. She had seen Gold watching them a little too closely. He knew something, he knew something important, and she was going to figure out what.

She called out after him, "Mr. Gold!" He turned over his shoulder to look at her, but he kept walking in the direction of his shop. Not one to back down that easily, Zelena followed him. One after the other they entered the dimly lit pawnshop. When he heard the door close behind her Gold turned around.

"What can I do for you dearie?"

"You know what I'm after Gold, the same thing that my mother is, and I'm betting that my perfect little sister has it."

"Ah, this illusive book. Why yes my dear, your mother is searching for it, but may I ask why you want it nearly as badly as she does?"

Zelena's expression gave her away when she tried to give a strong answer. "I was after it first. She told me it was worthless. She lied, didn't she?"

"I'm afraid so dearie. As I told your mother, books are mighty powerful things. If you look closely they can open up the mind to many possibilities." His grin was one that she had seen many times before. It was an exact replica of the one he had given just after he had informed them that Regina possessed the power to destroy their curse. Seeing it on his face now took her aback.

At her slight gasp he laughed and moved around her to open the door. As she passed him on her way out he bid her farewell with a quiet, "Good day, Your Highness." Zelena spun to face him, but he quickly shut the shop door in her face.

He knew! Rumplestiltskin knew who he was! This was it. The beginning of the end! She had to find Cora.

* * *

Cora was perched on the chaise lounge in the castle library. Her daughters sat playing on the floor in front of her. At five and three, they were pretty little things. Rumple had been right when he had told her that Regina would surpass even herself in beauty. She was already praised as 'The Fairest of Them All', and she was barely a toddler. She shook her head, but where was her power?

She looked up as she heard a shriek from her younger daughter. Her eyes flashed up in time to see the last bits of green light fading from her elder daughter's fingertips. "Zelena!" Cora moved across the room and scooped up the older girl, "What have I told you about your magic?"

"I'm sorry Mama."

"Zelena…That is not an answer." Her gaze was stern, Cora would not tolerate reckless magic, and she expected her daughters to learn that.

"That my magic is not a toy and that I should not play with it."  
"Correct." She set Zelena back on the floor. "Apologize for scaring your sister."

"I'm sorry Gina."

Regina smiled at her, "Is okay."

"It's Regina, not is. Say it's."

"Yes, Mama."

Cora sighed as both girls went back to playing. Zelena's powers were strong, and she listened well during her lessons, but Regina. Her magic had yet to manifest. It had been so strong before she had been born, but now, the child was beautiful, but she held no power. How was she ever to be the Queen that Rumple had promised? "You lied." She said to no one in particular.

"Lied dearie? Oh I did no such thing." His voice in her ear caused her to jump.

"Rumple! You cannot be here! What if someone sees you? What if one of the girls lets something slip in front of their father?"  
"He would never believe them. What kind of princess would you be if you snuck strange men into the castle?" He laughed, knowing exactly what kind of princess she was. One that could not care less for her dim-witted husband. He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "Now, what is it you think I have lied about?"

"Regina! You said that she would be beautiful, and she is. I envy her beauty already and she is but a babe. What will she be when she is older? She has the beauty of a Queen that much is certain. But her powers, they were so strong when she was still inside of me, I could feel them, I could feel her strength, but now?" She looked across the room at her little daughter with disgust. "Now she is weak, and pathetic. She is nothing, a waste of her potential."

"My dear Cora, give her time. Not all power is needed at birth, and power as strong as hers will be a lot for her to handle even when she is older. Don't push her let her alone. When she needs it, her power will be there."  
"You don't understand! I told Henry of her power, I told Xavier! They think I was lying, they think that I was making it all up to try and look better. They know what I am, where I came from. My daughter is no better than I was. It is like going a step backwards. She reminds me of all of my failures."  
He kissed her once more, just to shut her up. "Cora, listen to me. She is not you. You don't have to hold her to the same standards that you hold yourself. She was born a princess, and she will always be a princess." He leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "At least until she becomes a queen…"

"I don't care if she ever becomes queen. She is weak, and reminds me too much of the past." She looked away from him towards where her daughters played. "I will teach Zelena, I will harness her power. I will make her the queen…" She turned back to meet his eyes. "Henry favors Regina and her lack of magic. She will be fine, I will have nothing to do with her."

"Don't underestimate her…" And with that he disappeared just as quickly as he had come.

* * *

The book was gone. Regina had gone through Mary Margaret's entire room looking for it. She had gone through her drawers, and even checked her closet it wasn't here. What could she possibly have done with it? She moved downstairs, continuing to search. It wasn't in the kitchen, or the living room.

Regina had practically turned the house upside down when she heard the phone ring. "Hello?"

"Mrs. Blanchard?"

"Yes?"

"Hi, this is the school secretary. We were wondering if Mary Margaret would like her homework collected so you could pick it up? We don't want her to miss anything."

"Excuse me?"

"Since she's at home sick. We just figured we would see if you wanted to come and collect her class work from today?"

"My daughter went to school on the bus this morning, am I correct in assuming that you are calling to tell me she was never present?" Regina was trying to remain calm, but her stepdaughter was missing. If anything happened to that little girl she would never forgive herself. And she didn't think Leo would forgive her either.

"Oh my! If you put her on the bus, then she should have been here! Let me call down to the classroom and make sure that something didn't get marked down wrong." The secretary put Regina on hold and her mind began to race. The book was missing, her daughter was missing, and she had been rambling on about fairytales for the last two days. What was going on?

"Mrs. Blanchard?" The secretary was back.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry, there is no mistake. Mary Margaret is not here. Is there anything we can do to help?"

"Just let me know if she shows up there, I will inform her father." She hung up the phone and sighed. She would have to tell Leo that their daughter was gone, but she had to make sure she got to her first. Now where was she?

Regina sat down heavily at the dining room table, and picked up the phone again. She called the Sheriff's station and told Leo what was going on. He was just as worked up as she was, but where as she was worried, she could hear the anger in his voice. She hung up and grabbed her keys. Where would a little girl obsessed with fairytales hide in a town this small? She shook her head as she headed to the car, this was Storybrooke, and she could hide anywhere.

* * *

"Practice Zelena! Concentrate!" The fire burning in the girl's palm was weak and flickering.

"I'm trying Mother!"

"Try harder! You are better than this Zelena! You have so much potential, if only you would reach it!"

"Mother, you yelling at me does not help…" The girl was almost in tears. "I quit!" She ran out of the room and off towards the stables. Off to that boy that she thought Cora knew nothing about. Well she knew, she was just biding her time, waiting to use that against her at the perfect moment. Why couldn't Regina have fallen for the stable boy that would have just perfected that situation?

Cora huffed out her breath and sat down at the head of the table in the tower room. From there she could see the majority of the courtyard and all the way to the stables. It wasn't fair! She had worked so hard for this. Zelena was her key, her way in. She would never be Queen. Of that she was sure. And no matter what Rumple had said before she was born, her second daughter, the one that had been full of promise and hope, well she may have been her greatest disappointment.

No, Cora thought as she watched Zelena run off to the stables, and Regina tend to her precious apple tree. No, she had been given two beautiful daughters, and neither one of them was good enough.

A knock on the door caused her to jump out of her downward spiraling thoughts, "Enter."

"Whatever is the matter dearie? Why so," he gestured at her dark navy attire, "blue? Hee, hee, hee."

"I am in no mood for your jokes Rumple. Why are you here?"

"I just thought you'd like to know…Queen Eva is ill."

"And?"

"And, if our dear Queen were to meet an untimely end, well then the King would soon be in search of a bride." He looked pointedly out the window to where Regina stood in the courtyard. "Any ideas?"

"Oh yes. I have an idea." She stepped to the window, but it wasn't her younger daughter that she looked out at. Her eyes found a glimpse of red hair as her eldest disappeared into the stables.

* * *

"Mary Margaret Blanchard!" Regina's voice carried easily over the empty air. The girl's head whipped up from her book at the sound. She had the grace to look sheepish as Regina approached her. "What do you think you are doing? You had me worried sick! Did you think I wouldn't find out that you had ditched school? What ever could be so important that you would lie about going to school?"

She waited a full thirty seconds with no answer before she spoke again. Her voice was calmer this time, but just as strong as it had been before. "I'm waiting."

"I'm sorry Mother. I didn't think. I had to skip school; I have to find out what this book is really about. It all just seems so real, like I can almost remember it. I couldn't go sit and listen to my teacher all day, I would have been miserable."

"I don't care how miserable you are, or what you think this book is going to make you remember, you cannot run away from school. I called your father and we have people out everywhere looking for you."

"You called Dad?" It was quiet, but the moan in her voice told Regina that Mary Margaret finally realized just how serious this had been.

"Yes, I did. Now, we have to get to a phone and get ahold of him before he tears the entire town apart looking for you." She held out her hand, "Come on."

"Alright." She took her mother's hand and slid down from where she had been sitting in the fort like top of the slide. "Look Mother, who is that?"

A green pickup had pulled up next to Regina's Mercedes. A man got out and made his way towards them. With light brown hair and clear blue eyes, Regina couldn't help but take him in as he walked in their direction. "Mrs. Blanchard," he nodded at her, "Mary Margaret, are you alright?"

The girl shied into her mother, but she did answer him, "Yes, Mom found me, and she already yelled at me, so you don't need to."

He smiled quickly and nodded, "Alright then," he turned back to Regina and extended his hand, "Ranger Locksley, the Sheriff called me after he got off the phone with you. I'm a forest ranger here in town."

Regina looked at him questioningly, "How do you know my daughter?"

Mary Margaret piped up, "He talked to us about forest fires!"

"Ah," she smiled, "I see. Well," she reached for his hand, "thank you for your help." She gasped as their hands met. It had felt like an electric shock had pulsed through her when their skin touched. Her chocolate eyes shot up to meet his ocean blue ones. From the look on his face he had felt it too.

He took his hand back and coughed, "Yes, well, umm. I will see you later, m'lady." He bobbed his head at her, winked at Mary Margaret and headed back to his truck.

Unbeknownst to them it was that exact moment. The moment that their hands first touched, that the clock tower began to move.


	6. Chapter 6-I Heard Her Cryin'

**Hello lovelies! This chapter should probably get a bump in rating to M again. There is definitely a reason that it bears this title. Let me know what you think! As always Enjoy! And Happy Reading!**

Chapter 6 – I Heard Her Cryin'

Zelena had run to her mother. Gold knew who he was. He knew that he was Rumplestiltskin; he knew that they had cursed everyone; he knew how to break it. What was stopping him from running right to Regina? From waking her up and somehow getting her to break the curse? The more Zelena thought about it the more worried she became.

Cora had let her daughter explain what had happened, and she had even gasped at Gold's revelation. This wasn't something they had planned on. Not something that they had ever expected. Having him know was a chink in their armor. They couldn't control the game when one of the players wasn't going to play by the rules.

Cora paced back and forth in her den. There had to be something that she could do, something that would put that little imp back under their control, but what? The pair spent the entirety of the afternoon pouring through Cora's personal library of spell books, but they had come up empty handed again.

Darkness had fallen by the time that Zelena returned to her office that night, her mother in tow. It wasn't until then that she saw that her niece had been missing for the majority of the day. She looked down at her watch, 8:13. Mary Margaret had been gone a little over twelve hours now. She looked over at her mother, and wordlessly the two made their way out of the office and down the street. 8:14, they were going to have to try and help, or else raise more questions. Together they set off down the street, eyes sharp for any sign of her.

8:15. Zelena looked up at the clock tower as they passed by, 8:15, the same as always. She smiled to herself; some things never change, until…8:16. _Click_. Both women's faces whipped up to stare at the clock. It had moved. They stood there a full minute watching it, making sure it wasn't just some strange accident. 8:17. _Click_. The minute hand moved again.

Horror washed over Zelena's features as Cora breathed out a soft, "Impossible." Time had stood still for many countless years, never moving forward, no one ever aging, everything perfectly set. Until now. Something, someone, had caused the change.

* * *

The trip home was a quiet one. Neither girl spoke as Regina pulled into the driveway and they made their way up to the house. Mary Margaret was too worried about her father's reaction to what she had done, and Regina was still reeling from the pulse of energy that had ignited inside of her when she had touched the forest ranger. She got lost in the memory of his clear blue eyes. It seemed like he could see right through her, and she didn't know if she was frightened or relieved.

She didn't have much time to dwell on the thought though. Leo stormed through the door and headed for their daughter's room. She wasn't about to let him yell at her by himself, she didn't quite trust him not to express himself the way that he did with her. He had never raised a hand towards Mary Margaret, not even in punishment, but still, she wasn't about to risk it. She stood in the doorway of the girl's room and watched as her father lectured her on her actions of the day.

They had spent the majority of the day searching for the girl, and by the time that Leo got done yelling at her Mary Margaret chose to simply go to bed, claiming she wasn't hungry. They chose not to fight her, hoping that come morning she would have seen the error of her ways and that she would accept her punishment easily. Together the couple sat at the kitchen table trying to decide what to do.

"Leo?" He looked up at his wife, seeing for the first time in a long time, by the scared look in her eyes, just how young she really was.

"Yes?"

"What are we going to do?"

He rubbed his hand over his face and he met her eyes, "I don't know…what made her think this was in any way appropriate?"

Regina shrugged her shoulders, "I have no idea. She said something about wanting to read her book, and not having the time to really understand it if she was stuck in a miserable classroom all day."

"A book? She skipped school all because of a stupid book?" His relative calm was starting to waver. She could see the anger beginning to boil behind his eyes once again.

"It's not just a book for her. She believes it, she thinks that it is something that was lost, like a dream, or a memory."

"Regina, that book is not some silly collection of lost memories! It is a book! A storybook! Filled with fairytales about Princesses and Knights and Ogres and Kings! Those things are not real Regina! You know that!" He was starting to loose his temper.

"I do know that Leo, but she is a child, and something about this book is calling out to her. There is something in it that she has connected with; I can't take that connection away from her. Can you?"

"If it means that she will stay in school where she is supposed to be and not have us running around town all day trying to find her, then yes. Yes, I can." He stopped and tried to collect himself before going on. "Darling, you are still young yourself, you can't possibly understand why we have to rid ourselves of fairytales at some point." He reached across the table to touch her cheek. "At some point we all have to grow up."

She pulled away from his hand, "I am well aware that fairytales are not real Leo. I have no delusions about that." She pushed her chair back and stood up from the table. In that moment she had more courage than she had ever felt before. "This is the real world, and here the princesses have to rescue themselves." She didn't make it two steps before she felt his hand close around her arm.

* * *

"I don't care Henry!" Cora was furious with her husband. He had invited other nobles into the palace for a feast and a hunting party, and he hadn't even bothered to tell her. Instead he sprung them on her in the courtyard the moment that they arrived.

Now they were standing in the tallest tower of the castle, where she practiced magic. He was doing his best to try and talk to her. "Cora, this is my palace, and these are my friends. I have every right to invite them here."

She screamed in frustration and threw a potion bottle in his direction. He sidestepped and the pink contents splayed over the wall. "You have every right to invite them, and every duty to inform your wife about them!"

"I don't answer to you! You are my wife, you answer to me!" He moved towards her across the small room, but he was cautious about it. His wife had some of the strongest magic he had ever seen, save for what he knew the Dark One could do. At that thought he smiled, "Besides don't you have uninvited guests to the palace all the time my dear?"

Cora looked horror stricken; she hadn't realized that Henry knew Rumple visited her here. It didn't take but a fraction of a second for her to throw her cool and collected mask back into place, "That is none of your business."

"None of my business? My wife spending hours on end behind locked doors with another man is none of my business? What kind of message are you sending to your daughters?" He looked at her with an air that struck Cora in a way that she hadn't felt in years. Not since she was a peasant, kneeling in front of young Princess Eva.

"I have done nothing wrong." Her voice went cold and she pushed her shoulders back, "I am simply learning my craft."

"A craft that a princess has no need to learn. You have no need for magic my dear, we want for nothing."

"I have every need. I was not born into wealth and privilege Henry! I was poor, and miserable. I'll be damned if I ever have to go back to that!" Her temper was rising again.

Henry raised his hands in front of him and shook his head. There was no need for his wife to feel this way. She was privileged now, she had no worries, they were not poor, in fact their kingdom was well off. She needed to relax. "Cora, don't you think you're overreacting to this? Maybe you should just relax and…"

"Relax! Relax? You're serious? How am I supposed to relax about this when there are over twenty noblemen downstairs that are expecting a feast and a party here when I knew nothing about it?" She flung a hand out towards the door, and it burst open. "Get out Henry! I will figure it out. Alone!"

When he didn't move Cora turned to glare over her shoulder at him. "I'm serious!" She threw another vile of something at him before he realized she was seriously done talking about it. "Get out!"

"Okay, but when you've calmed down I want to continue our discussion." He turned and stormed out the door, slamming it behind him. He didn't hear his wife's mumbled reply, nor see his eldest daughter cowering in the shadows of the hall. She had heard every word. A single tear carved a path down Zelena's cheek as she slowly backed away from her mother's door.

She never said a word about what she heard to either of her parents, but she would always mark that as the day things started to change. The first day that her mother had made her cry.

* * *

Without turning around Regina let out a slow breath and tried to pull her arm away. When he didn't let her go she tugged her arm again, "Let go Leo."

He spun her around to face him so fast that she dropped the dish in her hand, breaking it all over the floor. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" If there was one sure thing about Regina from Leo's point of view it was that she had always been submissive to him. She had never fought back, but here she was, making subtle comments about having to save yourself, and then talking back. He shook her. "Answer me! What the hell do you mean, they have to save themselves?"

"You know exactly what I mean." Her voice wasn't loud, but in it was a strength Leo had never heard in her before. It was enough that he loosened his grip on her and she got her arm free. "I have no delusions about life being a fairytale my dear." She made the term of endearment sound like an insult. "After all, if this were a fairytale there would have been a nice woodsman that stopped by to help with the big bad wolf."

That had done it. All of the anger that he had been suppressing came shooting out of him. Her eyes filled with fear the moment that she had uttered the words. She knew what she had done, as surely as if she had just lit the fuse on a canon. He wasn't going to tolerate her back talk, and certainly not back talk that slandered him.

Without a moments hesitation his hand connected with her cheek, leaving the shape of his fingers behind. He grabbed her shoulders and threw her across the kitchen towards the sink. She cried out as a piece of the broken plate from earlier drove into her foot. He crossed the room towards her and backed her into the countertop. "The big, bad wolf huh?" He whispered in her ear. Tears were carving silent paths down her cheeks. "Well, there is nobody to protect you now."

"Leo please, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. I was just angry, and I'm still worried about Mary Margaret."

He grabbed her hair in one hand and her chin in the other, forcing her to look at him. "We wouldn't have to worry about any of this if you hadn't given her that damn book!" He threw her to the floor, where the broken plate was. "Clean up that mess before I step on it."

She moved quickly around the floor, cleaning up all the broken shards of glass. She stood and threw the pieces in the garbage, but then she noticed the blood. Trailing around the kitchen from her cut foot was a thin stream of blood. She moved to clean it up, but her husband grabbed her around the waist. "Oh no you don't." He spat at her. "You have been insufferable today. You get to bleed for awhile."

"You can't be serious?"

"Oh," he squeezed her waist hard enough she knew she would have bruises the shape of his hands, "I'm very serious. Now," he spoke to her as if he was addressing a small child, "how do you think this day could have gone differently?"

Before she made the conscious decision to speak the words were already leaving her mouth, and she had no power to stop them, "You could have not hit me…" Her eyes went wide she had done it again. It was like firing a gun into open air, it was bound to find a target somewhere. This time as his hand collided with her cheek she felt her lip bust open.

The broken cry that came out of Regina was not the sound that caused him to stop. It was the small hiccup from the doorway that did him in. When they both turned to look they saw Mary Margaret coming down the stairs. She hadn't seen him hit Regina, but she had definitely heard them yelling.

"Daddy, I'm sorry I was bad! Please don't yell at Mom, it's not her fault! I ran away, I stole the book, it was all me."

Regina forced her way out of a dumbstruck Leo's arms and sank to her knees in front of the little girl. Enveloping her in a hug she shot a glare at her husband, daring him to say a word. "Oh Sweetheart, none of this is your fault. We weren't yelling about you, I promise. And I'm sorry we were angry and that we woke you. We won't do it again. We love you very, very much."

"A million Swedish Fish?"

Regina wiped the tears off of her daughter's cheeks. "A million Swedish Fish," she replied with a kiss to the top of her head.

Mary Margaret wrapped her arms around Regina's neck as she picked her up to take her back to bed. "And I love you a million red M&amp;M's."

The expression of confusion on Leo's face when they left the room caused Regina to want to laugh.


	7. Chapter 7-Lessons Learned

**I want to apologize for the long wait, but my muse decided that she was going to take an unplanned holiday. I think she sent a shoddy temp, but somehow I managed this! I am still not super happy with this, but it will do. So here you go lovelies. Enjoy! And Happy Reading!**

Chapter 7 – Lessons Learned

Regina spent the night curled up next to their daughter. She didn't want to go back downstairs and face Leo. She didn't have the courage to go back and face the damage that she had caused. She knew that he was going to be furious with her that she had defied him in a way that she never had before.

When morning broke she awoke before Mary Margaret, and for that she was grateful. There were bruises on her body that she didn't need her stepdaughter to see. As she stood staring into the mirror in the downstairs bathroom she started to ask herself what she was doing. Before her thoughts could spiral out of control she moved away from her reflection and headed for the kitchen.

She didn't know what was going to happen this morning, she didn't know how they were going to recover from what had happened last night, but right now she was just going to take it one step at a time. She went about making breakfast, just like she would have on any other day. If nothing else, she was bound and determined not to break the promise she had made that little girl last night. They would not yell again if she could hear them.

Regina had fuzzy memories of her own parents fighting when she was a child. Memories of not knowing what was going on and blaming herself for all of the yelling, when in reality none of it was her fault at all. She shuddered to think that they were causing the same sort of pain in that precious child upstairs.

She heard him before she saw him that morning. She could tell from the heavy footfalls overhead that he was not any happier this morning than he had been when he threw her into the sink. She knew that the fight wasn't over; her not leaving Mary Margaret had simply postponed what they had started last night.

Without a word he stormed past her and out to his car. Headed off to that damn police station that was more like a family to him than she or his daughter was. She sighed before heading back up the stairs to get Mary Margaret. After missing the entire day with her little stunt yesterday, there was no way that she was going to even be running late today. She sat down easily on the edge of the bed and lightly shook the girl.

"Come on Little Bird, time to get up. You have to go to school."

"I don't want too."

Regina couldn't help but laugh at that. "After yesterday you have made that painfully obvious." She bit her tongue as soon as she said it, but Mary Margaret still shot right up from the pillow.

"Mom! I didn't even think about it!" She reached out and gingerly touched Regina's cheek, where even after the thick layer of makeup, a deep bruise was showing through. Her thumb grazed over the cut in her stepmother's lip before Regina drew her hand away softly.

"Don't worry about it Little Bird, it's just a bruise."

"I'm so sorry Mother,"

Regina's finger came to rest gently on Mary Margaret's lips, "Don't you apologize for any of this. The only thing you are responsible for is you, and all you did was skip school. None of the rest of any of this is your fault baby girl."

There were tears in the little girl's eyes, but she was doing her best to keep them in. "If I would have been good then you wouldn't have gotten hurt."

"It doesn't matter. You are safe and that is all that matters, but right now you need to get up and get moving." She stood up and headed for the door. "Get up and get ready to go, I'll have breakfast for you when you come down."

"Mom?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

Her only answer was a soft smile as she left her daughter's room before her own tears made their way down her cheeks.

* * *

Zelena and Cora had spent the majority of the night trying to determine the cause of the deterioration of the curse. Someone, Regina presumably, was doing something that was causing everything to shift and to become liquid again.

They had spent years trapped in this town, years of everyday interactions between all of the same people, and all of the same things. The only thing that was different was the book that had somehow magically appeared to Regina in the library the other day. Zelena shook her head confused. How could one lousy book change so much? And so quickly? No, there had to be something else.

Time hadn't started when she found the book, it had been later, when that brat of a niece of hers had it that the clock had moved. What if the book wasn't the key to the curse, it was just the key to Regina's memory? What if Regina herself was the key to undoing the curse? But what had she done, obviously she didn't remember everything. She hardly doubted she would have left her alone this long if she had. No Gold and the two of them were the only ones aware…right?

Zelena's head shot up from where she had had it resting in the palm of her hand. "That's it!"

"What's it?" Cora looked up from across the room. Considering whether or not her daughter was having some kind of mental break.

"Someone else knows. Someone else believes that our past is true. Someone besides Regina has seen that book!"

"The child has the book. I doubt that she can make Regina believe it is fact. No matter how hard she tries, my daughter is not going to believe that she is a queen. Not with what she sees as her reality."

"Well if Mary Margaret isn't the key then who is? Leopold?"

"Ha. No. Don't you remember what Rumple said, True Love, it would take True Love to out do our curse, and I don't think that she has suddenly found that with Leopold do you?"

"Of course not, but True Love? If that really is the answer, then… No? Somehow, even under the effects of our curse, while married to a man that doesn't love her, and saddled with raising a child that is old enough to be her younger sister Regina has managed to find her True Love?"

"That is the only explanation."

"But true love, that is so rare! How did she find it, and here of all places? Here where I'm supposed to be the one that ends up happy?"

"Be careful my dear. Envy can be a very dangerous thing." Zelena growled in frustration and stormed out of the room while Cora was still talking. "Besides there is a difference in true love, and True Love. One is far more common than the other, and one is much more dangerous.

She stared out the window as she thought about True Love. She considered both true love and True Love and longingly thought about whether or not she had ever truly felt either one?

* * *

Mary Margaret didn't know what to do. The book was changing things. Her parents had never fought before, or if they had she had never seen it, but now her mother was hurt. She knew that you were supposed to tell the police if someone you loved was being hurt, but she hadn't actually seen her mother get hurt. And even if she had, her father was the police, she couldn't tell him.

She sat down heavily on the curb outside the school. Everyone else's parents had come to pick them up, but she always walked home alone. Today, she didn't know if she was ready to go back yet. Instead she pulled the storybook from her bag and started to leaf through it again.

She read the stories of the Princess that she thought looked like her, and she read about the King marrying the young Queen. It wasn't until she had flipped back in the story and was reading about a young knight that had become a thief and an outlaw that someone interrupted her.

"Mary Margaret?" His voice was soft, and he stood far enough away that he wouldn't startle her.

Her head shot up and for just a second the man before her was wearing a green traveling cloak over rough sewn clothes and on his back he carried a bow and quiver. She blinked and the image was gone. Instead Ranger Locksley stood there dressed in his uniform. She shook her head to clear her mind. "Yes?'

"What are you doing all alone out here? You didn't run away again did you?"

"No silly, school just let out, and I haven't gone home yet."

"Oh? Why not?"

She just shrugged. She didn't know if she should tell him the truth or not. Especially since he worked with her father. "Just because."

"You don't seem like a just because kind of kid." He walked over and sat on the curb next to her. "What's this?"

"My book. It is full of stories about kings and queens and princesses and," she paused and looked him directly in the eye, "knights." She watched his reaction to her words, and she would have sworn that there was a brief flicker of something. Recognition maybe that sparked in his eyes. "There are thieves and bandits, outlaws and highwaymen. Just your usual kids stuff."

He laughed, "That doesn't sound much like a fairytale to me."

She shot him a look that made him laugh even harder, but her words stopped him dead in his tracks. "Nobody said anything about fairytales. Fairytales aren't real."

"But you just said…"

"I said stories, of princesses and queens, knights and outlaws. I never said anything about fairytales, because fairytales mean happily ever after's, and this book," she held it up in front of him as if to prove her point, "This book doesn't have an ending, it's missing. So none of the people get their happy endings."

"May I?" He reached for the book, and she almost didn't give it to him. Then something changed her mind. Almost without thinking she handed it over and when he held it he gasped. When he looked down to meet her eyes again she smiled, someone else finally remembered. "Snow White?"

"Come on!" She pulled him up off the curb. "You have to help me."

"Help you what? What happened? What's going on?"

"I'll explain on the way." She was already climbing into his truck. "Come on!"

"On the way where?"

"Home! We have to save everyone!"

Without really considering what he was doing, or why he had suddenly found himself in an entirely different realm, taking orders from the young princess, he climbed in the truck and pushed it into gear. As he started to take her home he looked over at her in the passenger seat, how long had she known that everything had changed?

* * *

Mary Margaret should have been home by now. Regina was pacing the living room. After what she had done yesterday and everything that had happened between them this morning, why wasn't she home yet? The slamming of two car doors had her moving to the window. When she saw who it was she ran to the front door and threw it open.

Running down the sidewalk she gathered her daughter in her arms. "Little Bird, where have you been? Are you alright?" She held her at an arm's length and looked her over.

"I'm fine Mother. I was just reading after school and then I ran into Ranger Locksley, and he brought me home."

Regina's attention was directed to the man standing in front of her. She had been avoiding eye contact at all cost, because she still wasn't sure what to make of what had happened the night before.

"Ma'am." He tipped his chin at her and started to walk away.

"Regina," He turned around at the sound of her voice, and she smiled. "You can call me Regina."

"Robin." He returned her smile and then bent down so that he was level with Mary Margaret. "Goodbye Princess."

"Princess?" He straightened back up and looked her in the eye.

"Top Secret." He held out the storybook that he was still holding. "I don't think you're ready yet."

"Ready for a bunch of stories?"

"Oh, they're more than just stories. Everything in that book actually happened."

"Okay…well thank you for bringing her home. Sweetheart why don't you go inside and wash up?" She waited until Mary Margaret was inside before continuing. "You don't have to play along. Eventually she will realize that they aren't real."

He took a step closer to her and saw the bruise on her cheek. "Regina, you know better than anyone that fairytales aren't real," he gestured towards her cheek. "It's showing through. But you should believe in them more than anyone, because you're in that book." And with that he turned and walked away from her back to his truck. The Queen was being abused, and right now there was nothing that he could do about it.

Regina carried the book inside and went about her normal routine. She tried not to let what Robin had said affect her, but it was so hard. And to top it all off, he had seen her bruise. She prayed that he wouldn't do anything about that. If he confronted Leo about it there would be hell to pay.

Leo didn't come home that night. Instead he chose to stay at the station and "finish up some paperwork that Zelena needed for the City Council meeting on Tuesday." Regina didn't mind. If he wasn't there she didn't have to worry about how she was going to get through the night. She didn't have to worry about covering any new bruises in the morning.

When Mary Margaret went to bed she left the storybook downstairs where Regina had placed it earlier. She hadn't touched it since she brought it inside, but now, alone in the quiet house she sat down and started to read it. She read all of the stories with care, but they were so unbelievable. How could any of this have actually happened? It was all so surreal, at least until she reached the first story about the young princess that was to marry the King.

That story she read with caution, with a sense of wonder. She heard Robin's voice play back in her head quietly, "'Everything in that book actually happened.' '…You should believe in them more than anyone…you're in that book.'"


	8. Chapter 8-Believing

**It's been almost a week lovelies, and I'm not thrilled but here you go! An update as promised! Believing is a big part of all of our lives, so find something to believe in! Enjoy! And Happy Reading!**

Chapter 8 – Believing

"'Everything in that book actually happened.' 'You should know better than anyone…you're in that book."

No it was impossible. She slammed the book shut and threw it onto the seat next to her. There was no way. Fairytales. They were just fairytales. She glanced one last time at the large, brown book lying on the couch, but she shook her head and made her way upstairs to bed. It was impossible.

The next day didn't dawn any brighter for her. On one hand she didn't have to deal with Leo this morning, but then on the other there was what Robin had said, and the fact that Mary Margaret seemed to think they were all characters in her book. Nothing could ever just be easy…

She had breakfast ready and waiting when her stepdaughter joined her in the kitchen. "Good morning Mother."

"Good morning Little Bird." She paused and took a hard look at the girl sitting across the counter. "So I read your book last night. I mean really read it, not skimmed through it like I had before."

"Oh?" Mary Margaret looked at her simply over her breakfast. Obviously Regina hadn't remembered by simply holding it like Robin had. Hmmm? "What did you think?"

"Dear you know that those are just stories right? None of those things actually happened? Especially not to us!"

"You just don't remember…although I really don't know why you don't remember. Robin seemed to get his memories back just by holding the book. I wonder why that didn't work for you? Then again if you are the hero it couldn't be that easy. The hero always has to work harder than they should to get their information." She was rambling and Regina held a finger up to her lips to stop her.

"First of all, I am not a hero. Second, just because you got Ranger Locksley,"

"Robin. He said we could call him Robin."

"Fine, just because you got Robin to play along doesn't make it any more real. And third," she paused, "Well third is just that you need to stop thinking everything is really some fairytale. This is our life, neither one of us is a princess."

"No one said anything about fairytales, I said stories, and I've told you like a hundred times that you are a Queen. Not a princess. Besides, you didn't even finish the book." She folded her arms and looked at Regina. "Did you?"

Regina didn't answer her, but she didn't look her in the eyes either. "You didn't! Because if you had you wouldn't have called them fairytales!"

"And just why aren't they fairytales?" Regina's tone showed her annoyance at the entire conversation, but that didn't slow Mary Margaret down.

She shoved away from the counter and stormed off up the stairs to get her school bag. "Find out for yourself!"

Regina's annoyance with her daughter lasted all the way through dropping her off at school. It wasn't until she was walking back to her car that she finally let some of it go. Only to have it instantly replaced with fear. Leo was waiting next to her driver's side door.

* * *

Robin woke up thoroughly confused. He was at home, but this wasn't Sherwood Forest, and yet he felt like he was supposed to be here. Then again, maybe he was supposed to be somewhere else. He shook his head as he climbed out of bed. What was going on? As soon as his feet hit the floor he remembered what was happening. Something about a curse, and the Queen, and her sister. He had to find the princess.

He raced through his morning routine and was halfway to the sheriff's house when he remembered what day it was, Friday, dammit. He made a U-turn in the middle of Mifflin Street and headed for Storybrooke Elementary. He didn't know much about where he was or what was going on and there was only one person he could think of to give him the answers he needed, and he was sure that after that stunt she pulled on Wednesday Snow White would be right where Regina wanted her, school.

He didn't know what he was going to do once he got there. He had no legitimate reason for needing to see the sheriff's daughter, and yet he still felt that it was the right thing to do. When he reached the front of the building he left the truck idling at the curb and headed for the front steps, but a quick glint of light made him turn his head for a fraction of a second. What he saw had the possibility to change everything, again.

Mary Margaret sat staring out of the classroom window. She didn't feel crazy anymore, Robin believed her. He remembered the Enchanted Forest just as clearly as she did. They had talked about it yesterday as he drove her home from school. When he had first held the book she wasn't positive that it had worked, but then he had said her name. "Snow White."

No one here knew that was who she was. They all thought that Snow White lived in the forest and wore that ugly, yellow dress like she did in the movie, but they were wrong. She was a living, breathing, ten year old girl, just like them. Only they were all in movies too. She looked around her classroom, recognizing people from both places. Her best friend Ashley, her name wasn't Ashley at all, it was Ella and her doting, loving, stepmother was actually as mean as a snake!

She shook her head and smiled. If only everyone could remember, then they would all be as bored with the teacher's five hundredth lesson on birdhouses anyway. They had been trapped in this town for she didn't know how long, and if up until two days ago they had been repeating the same day in various ways for years, then they should all have kids of their own sitting in this terrible class right now, but they didn't. Time had stopped they had all been trapped. And right now there were only a couple of people who knew who was to blame. Her eyes settled on the roof of the Town Hall that she could see over the trees, Aunt Zelena.

* * *

She was sitting on the ground outside of her car door crying. At least that's how he found her. Robin crouched down next to Regina and called her name. When she didn't respond he reached out a hand to nudge her shoulder and she instantly flinched away from him. She was scared, some thing had happened to her, and he was going to find out what.

"Regina? I know you can hear me, even if you aren't really listening, and I want you to know something. I am never going to hurt you, I just want to help keep you safe." She turned her head towards him and he kept talking. "I want to help you Regina. Do you mind if I take a seat next to you?" When she gave her consent he sat down next to her, not touching her, but close enough to be a comfort.

"Do you want to tell me why you are sitting outside your car in the school parking lot crying?"

She chuckled darkly, "Would you believe me if I said it was because I locked my keys in my car?" Her voice was thick with tears, but she had stopped crying.

"If that's what Your, you," he caught himself before he said Your Majesty, she was still his Queen after all, even if she didn't remember any of it. "If that's what you want me to believe…"

A hint of a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, "So no, you wouldn't believe it."

"I saw your cheek yesterday." He caught her eye and held her gaze. "Something along those lines I would believe, but if you just need me to open your car…" He feigned getting up and she reached out and grabbed for his arm.

"I'm sorry. I know that you are only trying to help, but you can't. No one can."

"Regina you don't have to stay there, you don't have to be scared of him."

"I'm not as scared as I used to be, in fact I kind of brought this on my self."

"Regina, abuse is never the victim's fault. There is no way you deserve this." He looked on with wide eyes as she rolled up her sleeve to reveal her arm. It was so dotted with varying levels of bruises that it didn't even look human. "Oh my god…" The sight of the bruises on her arm was enough to stop him talking all together.

"I can't leave Robin, and for some reason I said something the other night that I never should have said. It only made it worse, but I'm an adult, I can handle this. I can't leave Robin, I can't leave her alone."

That's when he saw what was really going on. Regina wasn't scared for herself. That had passed a long time ago. No, now she was afraid for her daughter. Robin's eyes drifted away from the battered Queen and rested on the school. She was protecting the Princess. "How long Regina?"

"How long what?"

"How long have you been protecting her?"

"Since the day I got married and became her mother. He's never laid a hand on her, I've always been in the way." She met his eyes as if daring him to tell her that she had done the wrong thing, but he couldn't. She had protected a child, and that was honorable.

"Why did you marry him?"

Her dark chuckle sounded once more, "Honestly I asked myself that same question the other night. There was only one answer I was sure of, and she's sitting in that building over there." She jerked her chin up in the direction of the school as she spoke. "He brought the two of us together, and no matter what else happens I have to believe there was a reason behind that."

"Regina let me help you, both of you."

She stood up dug her keys out of her pocket. "You were right," she jingled them at him, "it wasn't because of the keys."

"Regina…"

"I'm not deaf Robin, I can hear you, I just can't listen to you. I want to believe you, but I have to do what's best for her, and right now that means not pissing her father off anymore." She got in the car and rolled the windows down. "Do me a favor?"

"Anything."

"Believe in me."

"Always."

* * *

The bell above the door didn't even get the chance to jingle as the two women burst through and into Gold's shop. He knew. They knew he knew, the problem was that he wasn't the only one. He appeared through the curtain that separated the shop from his office. "Can I help you dearies?"

"What is going on?" Zelena's anger was understandable, but Gold didn't tolerate anyone yelling at him.

He smirked that annoyingly impish smirk of his. "What ever do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean! How is she doing this? She restarted time!"

"Zelena, that is enough!" Both parties looked up to lock eyes with Cora. Zelena's filled with a plea for her mother to intervene on her behalf, and Gold'es with curiosity. There were two options here, who would she choose?

"Gold, please. I thought that only True Love could break the curse? You designed it! How does it work?" Her tone was soft, almost innocent in nature. She was playing him, and he knew it.

"I think you've finally learned to ask the right questions dearie! Even if it is years too late. But you're right. It does take True Love to break the curse once and for all, but that's not the reason time has begun to move. True True Love played its part, but there was something more powerful than that at play first."

"Oh?" Her tone was still sweet and innocent, but he could see the anxiousness in her eyes. She wanted the answer more than life itself in that moment, and knew she would do just about anything to get it. "What's that?"

He stepped closer to her and leaned in so that his breath was hot on her neck as he embraced her. He placed a soft kiss on her throat before smiling at her and grazing his lips up to her ear. It was just a whisper but it was enough to make her gasp. "Belief."


	9. Chapter 9-Don't Let Me Be Lonely

**Hey lovelies! So Happy Memorial Day here in the USA! A big thanks to all of the men and women that have served our country, and defended our freedom. This chapter hopefully moves things in the right direction, and just so you are all up to speed, I now have a rough outline of every chapter in this story and the epilogue. I am so excited for you guys to read what happens next! Enjoy! And Happy Reading!**

Chapter 9 – Don't Let Me Be Lonely

He couldn't just let her go back home. Back to the man that was doing her wrong. Robin rolled his shoulders as he followed the black Mercedes down Main Street. He had never met the King back in their world, but everything he had heard about him was wonderful, and kind, there was never any indication that he could be a violent man. He watched as Regina turned left at the next light and headed away from him down Mifflin Street. He debated about whether or not he should follow her, ultimately deciding that he didn't want to cause her any extra trouble should Leo see them together.

Instead, with one last look down the street Robin continued heading straight, stopping in front of the library and climbing out. It was a book that had done this, had made him remember everything, and there was one person in this town that knew books better than anybody, Belle. Lacey, he reminded himself here her name was Lacey. He was mumbling to himself as he opened the door and was greeted by the soft smell of old books.

"Can I help you with something?" Robin turned to see Lacey standing behind the circulation desk, looking at him.

He was about to say no, that he would just look around for a bit, but something in her eyes seemed to change his mind. It was like she knew why he was there, like she knew that something was going on, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what. "You know what, maybe you can. How much do you know about the history of this town?"

Her expression changed as she thought about it, and then grew funny when she focused on him again. "It's odd, I have lived here my entire life, and yet I don't think I know any of it. How can that be?" She started rummaging through the files in the drawer under her desk. "Honestly I don't think we have any of the records here. Strange, you may want to check with the Mayor's Office." She was startled by the fact that he had moved so close to the desk while she wasn't watching.

"That's okay, I don't need them, I was just curious what you remembered. I actually came here because I have a favor to ask of you."

"Oh?"

"It's about Regina, I think she needs a friend right now, and given the situation,"

"You mean given Leo's possessiveness…?"

He just gave her a look and continued talking, "Given the situation, I think it would be best if that friend was you and not me."

"Ah, I see. Well what do you want me to do?"

"Come on," he jerked his head towards the door, "I'll buy you lunch."

She looked at him hesitantly; after all she didn't know him all that well. But there was something about him…His hand reaching out towards her broke her chain of thought.

"Do you trust me?"

"What?"

"Do you trust me?"

Her answer was hesitant, but she slowly reached up and looking in his eyes, took his hand, "Yes…"

* * *

Rumplestiltskin had been telling the truth, the Queen was gravely ill when Cora had paid the palace a little visit. There was nothing that could be done to help her; even magic wouldn't have saved her, not that Cora had offered. No one even knew that she was there she had gone in secret. Checking to see if maybe one day her daughter would be able to replace the Queen.

She had not been disappointed. Cora watched from the window as the Queen held her young daughter's hand and gave her some very honorable advice, before finally succumbing to death. As the tears fell down the young princess's cheeks Cora's smile grew, and in a puff of dark smoke she disappeared from the palace grounds.

"Zelena!" Her voice echoed through the halls as she searched for her eldest daughter. She had a plan, and the Queen's death was the perfect start to it. "Zelena!" She heard the tell tale signs of someone running in long skirts and turned on the spot to see her favorite child approaching her.

She was slightly out of breath, but she composed herself quickly, "Yes Mother?"

The look on Cora's face was a mix of horror and disappointment at the state of her daughter's silk skirts. "Look at you! You have ruined that dress!" She shook her head and took Zelena by the arm, pulling her down the hall and up the stairs into her private rooms. "I have wonderful news darling, the Queen has died!"

Zelena looked shocked, "Mother! How is the death of the Queen something to celebrate? That poor girl, she will be ever so lonely." Zelena could only imagine how hard it would be to loose your mother at such a young age. "The poor dear…"

"Yes, it's rather sad, but you see darling, I have a plan. A plan to make you Queen."

"What? Me? Mother, I don't want to be Queen! I don't want any part of this! I just want to be free to live my life!"

"And what a life it could be!"

"No Mother!" She ripped her arm away, magic flying uncontrolled from her fingertips. "I'm not you Mother! I didn't ask to be a princess, and I don't want to be Queen!" She flew to the door and wrenched it open, "I just want to be happy!"

"My dear, being Queen would make you happy!"

"No, being Queen would make you happy!" And with that Cora found herself alone in her tower room, left to plan her daughter's future without her.

* * *

He had taken her to Granny's and they were sitting together eating lunch and talking when they saw Leo and Regina come in. The grip that the sheriff had on his wife's upper arm was sure to just add to the bruises that Robin knew were already there. His features turned funny as he watched the pair. He hated that all he could do was sit there and let it happen. That she wouldn't let him help her.

"What are you looking at?" Lacey looked over her shoulder towards the door and saw Leo guide Regina towards a booth. She took a moment to study them before she turned back to Robin. "What are you going to do?"

"She doesn't want my help, she told me that she had to go back to him. That she had to protect her stepdaughter."

"That's why she won't leave? Mary Margaret?" She shook her head. "There wasn't anything else? No silent cry for help? Nothing?"

"She wants out of there, she hates him, but she won't leave her there, and I can't fault her for that. She told me to believe in her, whatever that means." He looked around Lacey towards where the young queen sat across from her husband.

"To believe in her? That's an odd request."

Robin smiled to himself, but Lacey noticed.

"It's not really, when you know the whole story."

"Then what's the whole story?"

"It doesn't matter, what matters is that she needs a friend, and you are going to be there for her. She is going to have to make some pretty big decisions soon if everything goes according to plan, and she can't do that alone."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Just be there for her, don't let her be lonely."

"Okay…?"

Robin waved a hand in her general direction, "Just go with it."

* * *

"Daniel?" Zelena had run to the stables after leaving her mother's private chambers. "Daniel, where are you?"

He stepped out of Rocinante's stall and looked up the aisle way for her. "Zelena, what's the matter?" He opened his arms just as she threw herself into them. "Darling," he stroked her hair and felt her tears wetting his cotton shirt, "Darling, are you alright?"

She shook her head, but still did not speak. Finally he pushed her away from his shoulder and held her at an arm's length, running his eyes over her face. Trying to tell if Cora had injured her in anyway. "Zelena," his voice was still gentle, but firmer now, like talking to a toddler, "Zelena, what happened?"

"The Queen is dead, and my mother is plotting a way for me to take her place."

"What?"

"The Queen, she has died, and Mother,"

"No, no I heard you, I was just surprised. You are going to be Queen. Wow. That's, well that's...wonderful." He let go of her and started to step away.

"Daniel," She reached out and grabbed his hand before he could get too far, "Daniel, this is not my choice." She stepped closer to him and pressed herself around him. Locking her arms behind his neck and molding her form to his. "You are my choice. I love you, I don't want to be Queen, because becoming Queen means loosing you."

"Darling, I can't offer you the same life. You would be far better off as Queen. I am a commoner, a stable boy, what can I offer a princess?"

"Daniel, I have been a princess all my life, and I have been nothing but lonely. With you I feel loved, and wanted, with you I feel at home. Don't let me be lonely in that palace anymore, let me be home." Zelena punctuated her words with a deep, slow kiss.

He pulled away slowly, and looked in her eyes. "Are you sure about this Zelena? If we do this, and your mother finds out,"

"Mother will never find out. I will play my part, I will act like it is everything I want, and then we will run. We will leave this place together and never look back." She put her hands on either side of his face and held his gaze. "I promise."

* * *

Just like every other day Leo left Regina in the diner alone to finish lunch. She had spent the entirety of the time that he had been there wishing he would leave, but also hoping to avoid the man throwing her glances from the far booth. He was sitting with Lacey, and it looked like they were having a good time, but she could feel his eyes on her the entire time.

She wasn't ready to face him in public. He had offered to protect her from her husband and she had turned him down. She had chosen to go back into the situation that was hurting her. She had told him it was because of Mary Margaret, and that was true, but there was more to it than that. It was because of him, and the way he made her feel. She felt safe around him, but she also felt butterflies and nerves and he drove her crazy. He was working his way into her every thought.

"Hey!"

She had been so caught up in her own head that Lacey's sudden appearance had startled her. She quickly regained her composure and put on a smile. "Hi."

"I just saw Leo had left, and I thought that you may want some company. No one really likes to eat alone after all." She reached over and took a fry off of Regina's plate.

"Hey! That was mine!" She smiled at her friend.

"You aren't going to eat all of them anyway." She snagged another fry and smirked. "Besides, Robin ate all of mine."

"I saw you two were having lunch together, anything you want to share?" She raised an eyebrow playfully at her, but a small part of her really wanted to know. She couldn't be, no! She was jealous! She mentally shook herself; she didn't have any right to be jealous. She was married, and he was, well she assumed he was a single, albeit handsome, man.

"No, nothing like that. I think he's got his mind set on someone else." Lacey's eyes didn't waver from Regina's as she spoke, and she found herself blushing. "No," Lacey continued, her eyes shifting back down to Regina's fries, "we were just talking about books, and that interesting one Mary Margaret has gotten all caught up in. He said she was really into it?"

"Yeah, she loves it." Regina's mind drifted quickly to where she had hidden the book so that Leo wouldn't find it. "Did you find out anything about it?"

"No, it doesn't belong with anything in the library. It just sort of appeared out of no where, like magic."

"Like magic? Hmm?" She popped a fry in her mouth and watched Lacey curiously as she chewed. Her attention was drawn away as the door next to them opened and her mother and elder sister walked in. They walked right past her, like she wasn't even there, but when she looked up again she would have sworn that Zelena had quickly tore her own eyes away.

The clock in the tower above the library rang out one, loud chime. And Regina's eyes shot back to Lacey. "How long has the clock tower been working again?"

"Umm, a couple days I think, why?"

"A couple days, how many is a couple?"

"I don't know, two I guess. I think it started moving again Wednesday night."

"Wednesday night? What time?"

"Around 8:15 I'd guess, since it's right now. What's with the sudden interest in the clock?"

Regina was talking more to herself now than she was to Lacey. "8:15 Wednesday night... Wednesday was the day that Mary Margaret ran off, and I found her a little after 8:00 that night." It had to have been around 8:15 when she had thanked Robin, when she had felt that, "Magic!"

"What?"

"Magic!" Regina lowered her voice so that it wouldn't carry through the diner to her mother and Zelena. "I think magic may have started the clock!"

"Regina," Lacey reached out and grabbed her hand as she stood up to leave, "Sweetie, magic isn't real."

"That's what I said too, but what if we are wrong?" And with that she left Lacey sitting in the booth alone with the now cold French fries.

She drove through town exceeding the speed limit and even running the one stoplight. She didn't know where she was going until she got there, but once her feet found the trailhead, she knew exactly which way to head. When she reached the clearing she smiled, there he was sitting on the fallen log in the middle of the woods, exactly where she had expected him to be.

"Regina? What are you doing here?"

"I asked you to believe in me, and you said you would, but it's the one thing I've been refusing to do for you." She reached out and grabbed his hand, and felt the pulse of energy that jumped between them when she did. She met his eyes and smiled. "Robin, I think I'm ready."

"Ready for what?"

"To believe in magic…"


	10. Chapter 10-She's Everything

**Hello again lovelies! I hope that everyone has had an awesome week and that you are ready because from here on out things are going to start to pick up steam. It's been a long time coming, but somebody has finally begun to believe! Enjoy! And Happy Reading!**

Chapter 10 - She's Everything

"Ready for what?"

"To believe in magic…"

He looked down at their adjoined hands and back up into her eyes. The pulse from their initial contact was wearing off. But he could still feel the magic. He could see it burning in her soul when he looked into her eyes.

"Regina, do you know what you are saying? What you are choosing to believe in?"

"I'm choosing to trust you, and believe in you. I'm choosing to believe everything. I think magic may have caused the clock tower to start moving again."

"You think that was magic? Regina, there is no magic here. Come on. We need the book." He dropped her hand and started to move towards the path.

"I hid it. Somewhere that Leo can't find it. I don't want to risk having it out in the open again."

"But you read it?"

"I did. Though at the time I believed I was just reading fairytales."

"Fairytales aren't real."

"That's exactly what Mary Margaret said, but how can that be true? If I can believe in magic, why can't I believe in fairytales?"

"What is a fairytale Regina?"

"A story. Once upon a time…happily ever after… that's a fairytale."

Robin sighed and ran a hand over his scruff. "You didn't finish the book did you?"

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Both of them were getting rather worked up, and their voices were beginning to rise.

"Because if you'd read it you wouldn't have called them fairytales!"

"And why not?"

"Because there is no happily ever after!"

Regina gasped, and her voice softened. "What?"

Robin moved away from her again, when he noticed how they had subconsciously gravitated together when they were yelling. "There is no happily ever after in that story, because that story is not over." He looked up and met her eyes again. The fire was still burning in them, somehow even stronger than before. "You said you were going to believe in magic. Are you going to believe in the book as well?"

"I think I have too. The book showed up because of magic. There is magic here in Storybrooke Robin. I can feel it." As she spoke the power in her eyes seemed to grow. It reacted as though the stronger Regina believed everything was true, the stronger she became. Magic was brewing in Storybrooke; Robin was watching it with his own eyes. And he smiled.

"Well then Your Majesty, let's go find it."

* * *

Mr. Gold had watched the queen take off from the diner and head towards the woods from the window of his shop. She ran from the diner in a way that made him think only one thing. She had started to believe.

When her car passed his shop he knew for certain, it was only a matter of time until Cora realized what had happened. Regina believed. She believed in the book, she believed in magic, and most of all she believed in herself. He could feel the magic radiating from her as she drove by. It was tangible, and strong. The power that Cora had felt before she was born was finally starting to show itself, and when it came in full force, he doubted even he would be strong enough to stop "The Fairest of Them All."

He refocused his attention on the task before him, but it wasn't long until he was distracted again. He felt her before he saw her, but when he looked up and out the window he saw her drive by with the forest ranger. Gold laughed to himself, what a funny pair the queen and the outlaw made.

The Queen and the Outlaw! That was it! He knew she had to have found True Love in order for this to happen, but he had always suspected it would stem from a child. That she would love Snow White enough to break the curse.

She hadn't. That was true love, and it was strong, but it wasn't True Love. There was no higher being weighing in on that. She loved that little girl by choice, not because it was fate. But Robin, Gold couldn't help but laugh; both of Cora's daughters had ended up loving men that were more suited to her original station in life. First a stable boy, and now an outlaw, won't mommy be so proud.

* * *

Robin refused to leave Regina alone at her home. She insisted that she could handle herself, but now that she believed all of this, he couldn't risk letting his queen be hurt any more. He had followed her into the house even though she was still arguing with him.

"I don't need a babysitter Robin! I am a grown woman I can handle the stairs on my own!" She made her point by running up the staircase as fast as her heels would allow.

"It's not you that I'm worried about hurting yourself and you know it!" He climbed slowly after her, all the while taking in his surroundings.

"You have no reason to protect me as you do!"

"No reason? No reason? You are the Queen! I have every reason and duty to keep you safe!"

She poked her head out of the master bedroom, where he had refused to follow her. "And what pray tell are you going to do when you realize that the man you are protecting me from is in fact, the King?"

Robin shook like he had just been slapped. He realized with a jolt that she was right, the man that he was promising to keep her safe from was in fact her husband, and the King. He ran his hand over his chin for the second time that afternoon. "Honestly, I hadn't really thought it all that far through."

She came out of the bedroom and shoved the book gently into his chest. "I know you haven't. Come on. Let's go get my daughter. She won't want to miss this."

* * *

Gold had gone back to cleaning up his shop, but he couldn't get Regina out of his head. He kept on thinking about True Love and true love, and how things never ended up working out exactly as he planned them. He thought he should be surprised that Regina had found her True Love in Robin, but somehow he wasn't. In fact the more he thought about it the more he realized they were a good match.

After his long standing history with her and getting to know him through the town for all of these years he could see how they complemented each other well, and how well they would fit together. He smiled a little to himself, he had always known that she would one day take the throne, but now he had a feeling that maybe it wouldn't be with Leopold at her side like he had always thought.

Leopold had been a mistake, but one that she had to make in order to fulfill her role in their future. She could never have become the queen without him, and he used to be a good man. He spoke out loud to himself as he let his mind wander away from him. "I wonder how much Cora's curse changed the future? Regina's future held so much promise, but then again," he finished muttering to him self, "Once upon a time mine held a lot of promise too…"

He had loved Mila, but it sure wasn't True Love, looking back now he even doubted if it was true love. They had been young, and there had been some sort of love, or maybe just lust and affection, but they had gotten by. That was until she had left to go run off with a pirate… And not just any pirate, oh no she had run off with one of the most notorious pirates there had ever been. Captain Hook. Rumple shook his head and tried to push Mila out of his mind.

The only good thing that he had gotten from that woman was Baelfire, and now he was gone too. He had died shortly after his mother had left, and Rumple had become the Dark One in an attempt to save him. He had ended up completely alone, with no family and no friends, only his power and his despair. He had become a monster. At least that was what he had thought, until he met the miller's daughter.

Cora had been young, seventeen years old, when she had first sought out Rumple's help. She had wanted to advance her station in life, and so when she was thrown into King Xavier's tower and told to spin the straw into gold, he had come to her rescue. He had saved her, and taught her his magic, and slowly he had come to care for her. He had been surprised when she had returned his feelings, and even more shocked when she had ripped her own heart from her chest, in order to marry the prince that she could not stand.

They had had true love, he was sure of it, and given time and proper care it may have been enough to become True Love. Now, they would never know. She had chosen royalty over love, and riches over power. To this day he was sure that she wanted both, she knew how to pull strings and get things her way. After all in the end, her daughter had still become the queen…

His mind shifted away from his lost loves and back to the young queen. She was beautiful where the outlaw was coarse, and soft where he was gruff. If they found a way to break this curse, if they found a way to harness what they had, he had no doubts that their love was capable of conquering all.

* * *

He watched from the sidewalk as Regina went into the building and came back out with Snow White. He smiled when she waved at him and greeted her with a formal bow. "Princess."

She laughed, but she curtseyed back. "Outlaw."

"Snow White!"

The girl spun around to face her mother so fast that she dropped the books that she had been carrying in her arms. "Mother?" She was shocked that her mother had addressed her as Snow White instead of Mary Margaret, what was going on?

"That is no way to speak to someone who has addressed you so formally. You will show respect to everyone equally, do you understand me?"

Robin spoke up, "Regina, really it's fine. She doesn't owe me the same respect she would show a nobleman, she's right," he tipped his head towards the queen and whispered loudly enough for them both to hear, "I am an outlaw."

Regina laughed at Robin, but her voice was still stern. "I don't care if you are the lowest street rat that I have ever seen, the princess must be polite."

"Of course Your Majesty." He ducked his head and took half a step away from her.

"Mother, what's going on? Are the two of you making fun of me to try and get me to stop all of this, because it's not going to work? I know the truth, I am Snow White, and that book," she pointed to the brown volume under Robin's arm, "is real."

"Snow,"

"No Mother, don't try and make light of this. I am serious about all this if you don't believe me,"

"Snow," Regina caught her daughter's flailing arms and forced her to look at her, "Snow, we believe you." She smiled, "We believe you, about the book, about the curse, about everything. You were right, now we have to figure out how to stop it."

"Really?" She looked back and forth between her mother and Robin before a huge smile split her face. "You really believe me?"

"Yes, Princess." Robin returned her smile. "Now may I suggest that we go somewhere a little less, out in the open to continue talking about this?"

"Well we can't go home, because of Leopold, and I don't want my mother finding us either…"

"Let's go to the library!" Both adults looked down at the child. "Belle, well Lacey, won't mind." Robin and Regina looked at each other and sighed, for ten years old Snow was fairly clever.

Together the three of them made their way to the library. When they arrived Regina went to the desk to tell Lacey what they were doing, and to ask her if she remembered anything, and Snow turned on Robin. "What are you doing?" She was whispering so her stepmother didn't hear, but that didn't stop the argument that was forming.

"What do you mean, what am I doing? I am helping you and your stepmother save everyone in this town!"

"Then why haven't you broken the curse yet? Why haven't you just ended it and sent us all back?"

"What are you talking about? I don't have magic!"

"Well, maybe you don't on your own, but Mother does and if you two use it then we would all be free!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Her magic, your magic! Together you two have strong magic!"

"Snow the only way two people can share magic is if they share True Love," he paused and thought about it for a second, "or maybe soul mates…"

She just looked at him.

"No! Regina and I aren't soul mates! And I don't even love her, there's no chance we can share True Love!"

Snow just stood there with her arms crossed, waiting.

"I mean, she's beautiful, and she's kind, and she loves you more than anything. And her smile, have you ever seen her truly smile? It lights up her eyes in a way that the magic never could." His gaze drifted across the library to where she stood talking to Lacey.

"Yeah, you don't love her…" Snow's smirk was almost evil. She knew it. She knew that Robin had fallen hard for the Queen. "You know according to the book it takes True Love to break the curse."

"And you think we can break the curse?"

"That depends, are you going to admit how much my mom means to you? How much she means to this town, to our kingdom?"

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. His blue eyes found her green ones and he held the princess's strong gaze. It had been less than a week since he had met the queen and the princess, but what a week it had been. He let out one more long breath before he answered, but when he did Snow knew that good would always win. That everything was working out just the way it was supposed to. "She's everything."

She smiled and spoke loud enough that her voice would carry across the room, "Then what do you think? Can we win this thing or not?"

"Yes." Both of their heads swung in Regina's direction as she spoke. "I think magic is here, and I think that we have already started to break this curse." She moved to stand between the two of them and she looked slowly from Snow to Robin as she spoke. "I know now that I am the Savior, that I have to be the one to save everyone from this curse, from my mother and my sister. I have to be the one that saves myself, but right now I don't think that I can do this alone." She locked eyes with Robin, and he could see the magic at full force, lying in wait inside of her. "Will you help me?"

He reached out and grabbed her hand, causing sparks to fly in her eyes. Their deep chocolate taking on purple streaks as her magic exploded from her soul and filled her body, "For you m'lady, I'd do anything."


	11. Chapter 11-Brave

**Okay lovelies, this is one of the longest chapters of this story so far. It is the end of what in my head I have been calling Act I. That is to say we are about halfway through the story at this point. Hopefully this chapter ties up some of the loose ends that we have made so far, and I know that it leaves some major questions to be answered. So without further ado. Brave. Enjoy! And Happy Reading!**

Chapter 11 – Brave

Together Regina, Robin and Snow left the library. They didn't know exactly how to break Zelena's curse, but they were certain that there was someone who did. The bell over Gold's shop door rang gently as they stepped inside. From the back room he could feel Her Majesty's presence, and he called out to her.

"One moment Your Majesty, I'll be right there." When he emerged into the front room he could feel all three sets of eyes staring at him.

"You know? How long have you known?" Her voice was harsh, but not cruel. It had the demanding tone of a queen.

"Since you gave the princess the book."

"How?" Robin looked at Gold suspiciously. "I didn't remember until I held the book, why did you regain your memories first?"

"I created the curse dearies. Of course I made it so that I would regain my memories as soon as one person believed the truth."

Robin and Regina exchanged a look over Snow's head, but she caught on quickly. "Okay, so I believed and you remembered. That means you have to help us!"

"And how is that dearie?"

"If it weren't for me and Mom then you would still be just as trapped as everyone else. I think that means you owe us a favor."

Gold smiled down at the young princess, she was a good deal smarter than her father had been at that age, and a good deal braver than Regina had been. His gaze shifted upwards and he met Regina's eyes for the first time since they had arrived. He could feel the magic radiating from her before, but looking in her eyes he took a step back.

"Mr. Gold?" Snow looked up at him curiously, but he didn't answer her. Instead he moved around her and stopped directly in front of the young queen.

His impish grin played on his lips when he spoke. "Your Majesty, it seems you have finally fully embraced who you are."

"Excuse me?"

He retrieved a mirror from the counter and held it up in front of her, she gasped when she saw her eyes. The normal chocolate color was infused with a light purple. "Is that?"

"Magic? What do you think dearie?"

"But I've never had magic before? How can I have it now? And here of all places?"

Snow looked at Robin and he nodded. "Belief."

Regina spun around to look at her stepdaughter, "What?"

Robin put a hand on her arm and met her eyes. "Belief. When you chose to believe you embraced the magic, and honestly," he slid his hand down and twinned his fingers with hers, causing the magic in her eyes to dance, "I think I may have something to do with it."

"More than something Outlaw." All three of them turned back to Gold. "There is only one way to break this curse." He gave the two adults a knowing look. "True Love."

"True Love? You're serious?"

"Yes I am. When did time start moving Regina? How does your magic get stronger?" When she didn't answer he knew he was right. He pointed to Robin, "He is your answer. You want to break this curse? You want to save everyone? You two figure it out." And with that he ushered them out of the shop and closed the door.

* * *

Across town Cora let out a sharp cry. "You're sure?"

Zelena nodded her head slowly. "They left the library together and headed to Gold's. They looked happy, and Mother," Zelena cringed inwardly, she really didn't want to be the one to tell Cora. "She has magic."

Before Cora could respond there was a knock on the office door and Zelena called out, "Come in."

The door opened to reveal Leopold, who looked like he was about to have a breakdown. "Have either of you seen my wife, or my daughter? I just went to the school to pick up Mary Margaret and they said that Regina picked her up right after lunch, and no one seems to know where they went!"

"They went to the library." Leo's eyes shot over to his mother-in-law. "Someone just saw them leave there with Ranger Locksley and the three of them went to Mr. Gold's shop."

A dazed expression crossed the sheriff's face. "What are they doing?"

Cora met Zelena's eyes and smiled before she spoke. "I believe they are having an affair…"

"What?!" Leo saw red. Without so much as a goodbye he turned and stormed out of the office.

"That should buy us some time. If they are dealing with an irate sheriff they won't have as much time to focus on breaking the curse."

Zelena watched out the window as Leo drove off down the street. "Are you sure that was a good idea? What if someone gets hurt?" She turned to face her mother. "I was supposed to be happy here Mother. We were supposed to be happy, everything was supposed to be perfect. You lied Mother. I'm not happy, no one is happy. I gave up the man I loved to have happiness, and I'm more miserable than I have ever been! Would it really be so bad if they broke this curse, if everything around here changed? Maybe we could be happy!"

A sharp crack sounded through the room when Cora's hand connected with Zelena's cheek. The blow sent her reeling and she tripped over the rug, falling to the floor. "Do you not understand what has happened Zelena? Your sister had the strongest magic anyone has ever seen. Even Gold didn't think he was stronger than she is, and now you are telling me that her belief has weaken the curse and that she is spending time with a man that has awakened that magic inside of her. There is no more if Zelena, there is only one way to break our curse, True Love, and it sounds to me like my useless, little princess has just found it."

* * *

Gold shut the door in their faces and locked them out. It was up to her, she was the Savior, and she had the potential to rescue them all. "What now?" She looked at Snow, hoping the princess had some idea of what it would take to actually break the curse, but Snow wasn't paying any attention. She was watching down the street where Leopold's police car was speeding towards them.

When Regina saw what was coming she grabbed Snow's shoulders and tried to push her down the sidewalk. "Go! Please Snow! Go! I don't want you to see this."

"No! He's going to hurt you!"

"We don't know that, please," she looked up at Robin, "Please, get her out of here."

"I can't leave you…"

She put a hand on his arm and looked in his eyes. "You can and you will." She sighed. "I am your Queen, and I am telling you to take the Princess and run. You have no choice." She wiggled her fingers and watched as sparks dances around them, "Besides, I can take care of myself now."

She watched the struggle in Robin's eyes, he didn't want to leave her, but he knew she was right. They had to protect the princess. He scooped the little girl up in his arms and nodded. "Regina?" When she turned to look back at him he could see the fear and determination fighting in her eyes. "Be careful."

"I always am." And with that she walked away from him down the road to meet her husband, and he turned with the princess tucked to his chest, and ran.

* * *

She was picking herself up off the floor, as her mother continued to rant about how ungrateful she was, and about how awful Regina was. Zelena didn't think she could take anymore of it. She risked a glance out of the window, but from her office she couldn't see as far as Mr. Gold's shop. As Cora continued to scream Zelena slowly edged closer and closer to the door. As she was about to leave the room Cora turned on her.

"Just where do you think you are going?" It came out as a snarl, and Zelena instinctively shied away from it. Cora stepped across the room towards her, "Answer me Madam Mayor." Her title was a sneer as it came from her mother's lips. "Where are you going?"

Zelena timed it perfectly so that the magic thrown from her mother's palm hit the door just before she slipped through the opening. "To help my sister!"

Cora's outrage caused the entire building to shake. "How could you?! You ungrateful girl! I gave you everything, and you are going to throw this all away just for her!" Her screams followed Zelena out of the building, but she didn't care. She had finally made a choice on her own, and she was choosing to back her baby sister.

She took off towards Mr. Gold's shop at a run, and even as people called out to her she didn't slow down. She knew what Leopold had been doing to her sister all of these years, and she wasn't going to let it happen again. The curse was breaking, things were changing, and she was going to be one of those things.

Back in the Mayor's office Cora was fuming. She had planned everything; their lives here were perfect. Zelena was just being ungrateful. Yes, that was it; all of this was on her daughters. They were the ones responsible for ruining her life. Cora glanced at the gaping hole she had left in the door. And then it clicked. Magic. She had her magic back! With a flick of her wrists she took off after Zelena.

Both Cora and her eldest daughter reached the scene at the same time, but neither one of them had been expecting what was playing out before them. They stood looking, one from each side of the street as the sheriff and the Queen faced off in the middle of the road. He didn't remember who he was back in their land, but she did, and she remembered everything that he had done to her since they had been stuck in this miserable town.

"How dare you? Do you know what I went through every night waiting for you to come home? Do you know how I felt knowing that the moment you got home I was going to get hurt? The anticipation of not knowing whether you were going to rape me or just beat me! Do you even realize the amount of pain and suffering that I have gone through being married to you?"

Leo looked like he was about to say something, but she held one glowing, purple palm up towards him and the words caught in his throat.

"You were so worried about anyone in this awful town finding out that you missed the fact that your daughter knows!" She saw his eyes widen, but she kept going. "Your ten year old knows what you've been doing to me Leopold. How do you think that makes her feel? Do you think she feels safe? Knowing that the one man she is supposed to be able to trust more than anything is abusing the woman she calls her Mother?" She had to pause and catch her breath and he saw his opportunity.

"I didn't realize that she knew Regina, but that doesn't make what you are doing any better! How can you go parading around town with another man and not expect me to find out? Are you doing this on purpose? Do you want me to be mad at you Regina, because you've succeeded? I am furious with you! You can't have an affair with a man that works in my law enforcement agency and not expect me to figure it out!" With every sentence he had taken a step closer to her until her was only an arm's length away. "Seriously Regina, this is enough. Where is my daughter? We are going home."

He reached out and grabbed her arm, and two things happened. Regina jerked out of his grasp with more force than she had ever exerted before, and Zelena had lunged into the street towards the pair of them. When Leo realized that is wife was refusing him, he reverted back to what he had been doing for years. Instead of trying to talk to her he had raised his hand to strike. The only difference was that when his hand came down this time, it wasn't the Queen that he struck, but the Mayor.

Zelena had jumped in front of Regina and shoved her out of the way. Causing Leopold's heavy blow to land on her own cheek instead. Tears shot to her eyes, but much like her sister, she refused to give him the satisfaction of letting them escape.

"Zelena?" Regina's cry of shock at her sister's appearance between the two of them lasted only a moment. Leopold didn't seem to care that he had struck the wrong sister, and he was hauling back to strike again. With as much force as she could muster Regina used her newfound magic to push her husband away from Zelena. When he hit the ground on the other side of the street she reached out for her. "Why did you do that?"

"I made a choice today. I can't sit by and let other people decide how my life is going to go. And this," She pointed to the bruise that was already forming on her cheek, "Well the least I could do is take a blow for you. It's my fault that you've been taking them all these years anyway."

Regina wasn't quite sure what to make of her sister's sudden change of heart, but she didn't have long to dwell on it. A high, cold laugh pierced the silence around them as they stood in the middle of the street. Whipping her head around her gaze landed quickly on their mother, who was still standing on the other side of the road.

"Actually Zelena, you know as well as I do that your curse had nothing to do with the way Regina has been treated all these years. That was a little something extra I threw in at the last minute."

Zelena stepped in front of Regina, putting herself between her mother and her little sister, but Regina pushed around her. "What are you talking about Mother?"

"Why Leopold of course! Your sister's pretty, little curse didn't have anything to do with your husband's personality crisis. That was all me. I couldn't have you living a nice happy life here now could I?"

"You did this?" She pointed to Zelena's cheek and she shoved her sleeves up her arms so that the majority of her own bruises were exposed. "How could you possibly be so heartless that you modify a man's head to abuse your daughter?" She shook her head. "You know what Mother, I don't care. I don't care why you are the way you are, or what made you do the things you did. All I care about right now is breaking this damn curse and keeping my daughter safe." She turned to her sister. "What do I have to do to end this thing once and for all?"

Zelena opened her mouth to answer, but she never got the chance. From the side of the road Cora flung out her magic and knocked the redhead unconscious. "Now, now my dear, what fun would it be for her to just tell you all of my secrets? No, you're not getting out of this that easy." Her second wave of magic was aimed for Regina, but the queen used her own power to block the attack.

"You may finally have your magic my dear, but remember I have years of experience to back mine up." Another blast of blood red magic flew past Regina's head. She had only just managed to duck in time. Cora was right; she did have the practice that Regina lacked. The young witch was making this up as she went along, but she knew one thing for certain, she felt a hell of a lot braver right now, than she ever had before.

"You're right Mother." Regina stood back up and faced her mother. "You do have the experience, but I have something that you don't have."

"Oh?" Cora's hands were beginning to glow again as she built her magic back up. "What's that?"

"Love Mother! I have love in my heart, and magic is in my soul. It is a part of me in a way that it will never be a part of you! I have so much to offer Mother, but you are too caught up in yourself to see it!" Her hands were glowing now as well. The bright purple was reflecting out of her eyes as well as from her hands. "Don't you remember Mother? What is it that everyone in the kingdom used to call me?" She chuckled, "Oh that's right, 'The Fairest of Them All.'"

Cora shot her hands out and pushed the magic at Regina, purple met red in the middle of the street and magic exploded all around them. With a loud crack they knocked out most of the windows on the street and people were running outside to see what was happening. "Laugh all you want my dear, but these people don't remember that you are their Queen, let alone that they thought you were 'The Fairest of Them All.'"

"See that's where you are wrong Mother, these people," She threw her arms out to encompass everyone standing around them, "they don't need a pretty Queen. Right now, they need a Savior, and that's what I intend to be." She punctuated her sentence by sending another blast of purple magic at her mother, only to miss and hit the clock tower behind her. When she did she saw the library doors beneath it open and she watched as Robin, Lacey, and Snow all ran outside.

Cora took Regina's momentary distraction as her chance. She shot a blood red streak of magic at her younger daughter. Regina heard Robin yell her name, and Snow White call out for her as the world faded to black. Cora's final blast of magic had hit directly over her heart.

* * *

"Regina!" He knew he was too late. He watched as the magic left Cora's outstretched hands and hit directly over Regina's exposed heart. She had been watching them come out of the library. She was concerned with their safety and had momentarily forgotten her own. "No!"

He watched as she fell, almost in slow motion to the pavement, and he heard Cora's high, cold laugh. Both of her daughters were lying on the ground at her feet and the woman stood there and laughed. The echo of her laughter remained as she vanished into thin air. She was a monster, but right now it wasn't Cora that he was concerned about.

"Lacey!" He called over his shoulder to their friend who stood there clutching at Mary Margaret, who was trying her best to get to her mother.

He could hear the tears in her voice, but he didn't look back. "I've got her Robin, get Regina!"

And he did he ran towards her, but he felt like he was running through water. He didn't know if he would ever reach her side, until finally he was there. He dropped to his knees next to her and gently lifted her off of the ground.

"Regina, you were so brave. You told me to take Snow and to run, and I didn't listen to you. It's my fault this happened. We distracted you from your fight." He brushed the hair from her face and looked down at her as he continued, his tears falling from his cheeks and landing on hers. "This was your destiny, to be the Savior, to try and break this curse. And I was lucky enough to be a part of that. I don't know how we are going to do this without you, but I promise you that I will protect the Princess. You gave me one mission, and I plan on fulfilling it." He ran his thumb down her cheek and over her lips, still warm from her last breath. "Regina, my queen, I love you." And with that he pressed his lips to hers in a gentle kiss.

The world seemed to split apart from the very place that their lips met. A bright light shot in every direction as the curse was finally broken. Robin felt her gasp under his lips and jerked away from her. "Regina?"

Her smile lit up her entire face as she sat up in his arms. "You saved me!"

His response made her laugh, "Well Your Majesty, you saved everyone."

"Mother!" Belle had let go of Snow the moment that the curse had broken. The princess was barreling towards them. "Mother, you're alive!"

"Yes…" Regina laughed and placed one hand on each of their cheeks. "Yes I am. Thank you," she looked back and forth between the two of them, "both of you. I couldn't have done any of this without you."

Robin smiled down at the woman in his lap, "Of course my love. I'm just glad this is over."

"Um guys?" They both looked at Snow, who was staring behind them with wide eyes, she pointed to something in the distance. "I don't think this is over…"

They turned around to face a billowing, lavender cloud headed straight for them. "Snow," Regina caught the princess's eye, "Get ready."

Robin looked down at the two of them, and was surprised to see them both smiling, "Ready for what?"

The two girls smiled at one another, and answered him at the same time, "Honestly, we have no idea…"


	12. Chapter 12-Don't Put Dirt On My Grave

**Hey everyone! I am super sorry that this didn't go up on Sunday like they have been! It has been a crazy week around here. I will try to stick to the Sunday schedule as much as possible for the rest of this story, but if I fail, please don't hate me! Just remind me that it needs to go up, a little extra nagging sometimes gets things done quicker! Enjoy this one, and as always Happy Reading!**

Chapter 12 – Don't Put Dirt On My Grave Just Yet

The lavender cloud overtook them in seconds. No one ran there would have been no escaping it anyway. The curse had broken; Robin and Regina's True Love had been enough to wake everyone. The question was what were they all going to wake up to?

When the lavender smoke finally rolled away Regina looked around and found herself standing somewhere very familiar…

"Mother?" It was a cautious question as Snow took in their surroundings. She stood and shook the residue from her dress. No longer were they wearing the clothes of the modern world, gone were the cars, the shops and the clock tower. They were standing once again in the Enchanted Forest.

"Yes Snow, I know exactly where we are."

"Do you think…?"

Regina looked around her as she rose and spotted Robin struggling to his feet nearby. "I don't know Little Bird." The use of the familiar nickname was not lost on the girl. She turned and called out to her True Love, "Robin! Are you alright?"

He came walking over to where the two girls were standing in the middle of the road. "Where are we?"

"Home."

He looked down at her confused. "Well home for me." She gently pushed his shoulder until he turned to look up the road. His eyes fell on a palace some distance away. "That is my father's castle. We have come back in roughly the same position that we left in the first place."

"Then how am I here? And where is the King?"

Regina sighed and leaned into his shoulder. "I don't know. What I do know is that we need to find shelter, find our people and gather all of the supplies we can." Worry flitted through her eyes as she spoke. "Magic is much stronger here, and I am not the only one that can harness it."

"Mother? Is it safe to go to the palace? What if your mother and your sister were sent back there as well?"

"We won't know until something happens now will we? We may as well head in that direction. It's not like we can sleep out here tonight."

"Why not?"

Both girls stopped dead and looked at him. "Excuse me?" Regina seemed less than thrilled with the notion of sleeping outside on the ground.

"Come on Your Majesty lighten up. There is no one in their right mind that is going to look for the Queen and the Princess in the forest."

"That's because, Outlaw, no one in their right mind would choose to sleep in the Forest." They were arguing, but Snow could tell from their tones and the gleam in their eyes and their smiles that they were teasing each other.

"Are you saying I am out of my mind m'lady?" He reached out an arm and grabbed her, ever so gently and guided her towards him.

She willingly let her body be pulled closer to his. When she was in his arms she felt safe, and that was a luxury she was going to let herself indulge in. "Mm, maybe, but then again, that would mean I am out of my mind as well."

"Oh? Why's that?"

"Because I love you." A dazzling smile crossed her face and Robin felt his heart melt. He knew that she loved him, after all their True Love had been strong enough to break the curse, but to hear her say it… He found himself getting lost in her eyes and he smiled.

"I love you too. Now," He broke the moment in an abrupt change of pace, "as far as where we will be staying the night?"

Regina pushed out of Robin's arms, took Snow by the hand and started walking towards the trees. When they had gone a few steps she threw a haughty grin over her shoulder and called out, "Well aren't you coming?"

It took Robin a few more seconds of watching them walk towards the trees, but he snapped out of his daze and chased after them. Catching Regina's other hand just as they disappeared into the trees.

* * *

"No!" Cora's cry echoed around the stone walls of the tallest tower. She had awoken alone in the room where everything had started. The room where she had learned of one daughter's power, the room where she had put the other through the ultimate test of magic. The room that had once held so much promise, now held nothing but pain and memories of everything that she had lost.

"I had everything. We could have had everything, and she ruined it all." Cora was half crying half growling as she made her way to the door. Where was Zelena? If they had all returned to the spot that they had left she should have been there, so where was she? She tore down the stairs and ripped open her daughter's chamber door. She was nowhere to be found.

"Disgrace! Both of my daughters are nothing but disgraces. They could have had it all. We have magic, we have power, but oh no. They had to have love…" Cora was muttering to herself as she stormed through the castle. Why was she the only one in this entire place? That didn't make sense…what was going on?

* * *

Zelena sat up and started picking straw out of her copper curls. The stables? Why was she in the stables? Of all the places that she could have come back, it had to be here. Looking around the pain engulfed her. The pain of loosing Daniel, of not being able to protect Regina, the pain was too much. She closed her eyes and lay back in the straw.

She knew why she had reappeared here. It was the most important place in the realm for her, the place that she had last truly experienced happiness. Finally she pulled herself to her feet and made her way to the door. The last thing she remembered was standing up for her sister, and then it all went black. She had to find out if Regina was okay, she had to see if in the end she had made a difference at all. She had to find someone that could tell her everything she needed to know. She needed to find Rumplestiltskin.

As loudly as Cora was storming through the castle, Zelena slipped quietly from the stables and made her way to the road. There were only two ways to get to the Dark Fortress, and right now she didn't trust her powers enough to teleport herself there. No, she would walk. She headed down the path away from the castle, away from everything she had ever known, to try and see if she could save the one person that she had hated for so long. To try and save Regina.

* * *

Regina was flaunting her magic in the forest. They may have been reduced to sleeping in the trees, but that didn't mean that they would be doing it without their dignity. She had conjured them two lovely tents. One for Snow and herself and one for Robin, she didn't think that they needed to all sleep in the same one. They weren't quite ready for that yet, even if they shared True Love.

They were sitting outside by the fire, Snow lying with her head in her mother's lap when Robin's eyes shot up and started scanning the darkening forest.

"What's the matter?" Regina noticed his reaction, but she hadn't heard anything.

"I think someone is out there."

"Robin, it is dark and it's getting late. I think it may be time for all of us to go to sleep. We can try and figure this all out in the morning." She put her hand on his arm to try and calm him down. "I promise, nothing is going to happen tonight."

"You shouldn't make such heavy promises my lady, but if you insist. Come on Snow." He bent and picked up the sleeping princess, carrying her into their tent. He placed her on the smaller of the two beds and then turned to face the Queen. "Are you sure that you will be all right?"

"Yes. Robin, watch." She made magic dance around her fingertips and then flutter all about the inside of the tent. "I have control over it, for the most part. I can protect us long enough for you to come barging in shooting arrows everywhere." A smile played at the corner of Robin's lips but he wouldn't give her the satisfaction of drawing it all the way out. "You promised me something not to long ago, remember?"

The smile was filling his eyes, but he just nodded. Trying to keep it from gracing his lips.

"I remember."

"Then believe in me." She kissed his cheek and gently pushed him towards the entrance to the tent.

As the flap fell shut behind him, she heard him whisper, "Always."

Robin didn't go to his tent when he left the girls alone. Instead he circled around the campsite in the dark. Listening. There was someone out here, he was sure of it. The sharp crack of a twig snapping a few yards in front of him was enough for him to draw an arrow. "Who's there?" He called out quietly, and when no response came he grew ever more cautious. "I know you're out there, I can hear you. Show yourself, in the name of the Queen!"

Slowly Robin heard footsteps moving closer to him, accompanied by the gentle swish of a skirt over the fallen leaves. "Robin?" Zelena moved out of the cover of the trees to stand in front of him. "Please, I'm not here to hurt you, I was walking away from the palace, and I saw your fire. I was just coming to investigate. Please, I mean no harm."

Robin considered what she was saying, and slowly weighed it with the fact that she had also fallen at her mother's hand, and lowered his arrow. "What were you investigating?"

"Who was out here mainly." She shrugged. "Although now I'm curious to know what happened after Mother attacked me."

Robin was still cautious, not willing to give up anything more than he was receiving in return. "And I'm curious as to what happened before that." He held out the hand not carrying his bow. "May I escort you back to my camp Princess?"

She took his hand, and as they began walking she told him of the beginning of the battle in Storybrooke. She told him how Regina faced off with Leopold, and showed him the bruise on her own cheek. Her eyes fell as she reached the end of her story. "Regina asked me how to end the curse, and I was about to tell her, when Mother struck me with her magic." She looked around and gave a small smile. "It seems like she figured it all out in the end though."

"Not really." She looked up at him, and her eyes widened when she saw the dour look on his face.

"What do you mean?" It was a cautious question. She wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer. "She broke the curse, everything worked out."

He met her eyes just as the entered the campsite. "Zelena, she died."

She gasped and tears started to form in her eyes, but just then the flap to Regina's tent opened and the queen emerged. "But, but, what?" Zelena looked back and forth between Robin and Regina. "I thought you just said she died?"

"You told her that I died?" Her tone was teasing, even through her serious expression.

He walked over and wrapped an arm gently around her waist. Pulling her close to him and guiding her towards her sister. "Technically my queen, you did."

"Well, I'm not dead now." They were flirting with each other, and they weren't being terribly subtle about it.

Zelena was looking back and forth between them, still confused. "Regina?" It was almost a whisper. "You're really okay? Robin said…"

"Yes, well, he's right. I did die, well technically Mother murdered me, but," she waved the arm not wrapped around Robin, as if to say 'it doesn't really matter anymore.'

"Murder? She murdered you!" Zelena's eyes grew wide again, "Why?"

Regina shrugged, "Who knows, maybe because I was breaking her rules, breaking your curse, it could have been because I said I was prettier than her. It doesn't matter. All that matters is that we are safe, and that she lost."

"Um about that…"

Regina's eyes shot from her sister to Robin. "What?"

"Nothing, it's just that she may not have completely lost…"

"What!" Both sisters looked at him expectantly.

"Well what did you expect me to do?" He pointed at Zelena, "You were unconscious, and not really a lot of help, and you," he turned his finger on Regina, "you were dead. I had just watched the woman that I love die in front of me, in front of her daughter, and you want to know why Cora didn't loose?"

"Yes." The woman he loved was gone; she had been replaced with a cold and unfeeling version of the queen. "Why did you not apprehend my murderer?"

"He was too busy professing his love and bringing you back to life. Cora escaped in a cloud of red smoke before anybody could react." Three sets of eyes shot to the door of the tent where Snow stood watching them. "What?" She shrugged. "You guys were talking really loud. Besides you shouldn't be mad at Robin for letting her escape, he wasn't the only one there, there were lots of people, everyone was just stunned when she started laughing."

"Laughing? Why was she laughing?" Regina was back, the icy queen tossed aside.

"Because she thought she had won." Zelena smiled, "Bit of a nasty shocked for her when she woke up here." The sisters both started laughing, and soon Robin and Snow joined in.

"Speaking of waking up," Regina was trying to compose herself enough to speak, "Where did you wake?"

"That's a bit of a personal question isn't it?" The other three exchanged a glance. "Oh you don't know? Ha. That's funny, where did you wake up?"

"Snow and I woke up in the middle of the road back there, and Robin was on the edge of the trees. Why? Why is it so personal?"

"The middle of the road? Hmm? Odd. Anyway, we all came back in the place that means the most to each one of us. I came back in the stables. What happened back there on that road?" She turned to look at Robin, "Had you ever been there before?"

He shook his head and Snow answered her aunt, "It's where Mom and I truly became a family. It's the first place she protected me." She moved into her mother's waiting arms as she spoke. "I don't know about Robin though…"

"I do." They looked across at him, waiting. "Nowhere in this entire realm means anything truly special to me. Not in the way that you do. It's not the place that means the most, Regina you said it yourself when we first got here, it's the place we felt at home. For you two it was in that carriage, when you became a family. Zelena. The stables?"

"Daniel. The man I loved, he was,"

"Our stable boy?" Zelena nodded.

"But I don't have a home here. I never really did, I was an outlaw, and before that I ran away from home. I didn't have anywhere to go back to, so I came back to you." He was looking straight into Regina's eyes. "I came back to my home, and you're it."

The two shared a tender moment over the top of Snow's head and Zelena couldn't help but laugh. "Are they always like this?"

Snow pushed the two apart far enough that she could escape, "No, but now he saved her life with their magic True Love kiss. I'm guessing it's only going to get worse."

The couple purposely made a grand show of their kiss, just to get a reaction out of the other two. When they broke apart Regina turned serious again. "Mother may have thought that she won, but I have a feeling that she will come looking for us. Since she woke up here she will have to assume that you brought me back, and that we are all here." She looked at the other two adults slowly, before her eyes came to a stop on her daughter. "This is going to get messy."

* * *

Days passed by, and the party of four slowly moved through the forest. Picking up people as they went. By the time that they reached The Dark Fortress they had a good-sized group of people, including Belle and Red. Along with many other people that Regina had befriended in Storybrooke that were willing to stand with their queen now.

They had many people, and yet Regina was still worried that it wouldn't be enough. That somehow she would fall again, and this time, Robin may not be able to bring her back. With her Outlaw and her sister by her side, the young queen entered the castle. "Rumplestiltskin!" She moved a few steps further in and called out again, "Rumplestiltskin!"

"He's not here at the moment my dear, is there something you need?" Both girls drew their magic, and Robin his bow as they heard Cora's voice from the railing above them.

"Where is Rumple?"

"Gone."

"Gone where?"

"How should I know? I came here looking for him myself, and it seems as though no one has been here at all since we all returned." In a cloud of blood red smoke she appeared directly in front of them. "My, my, it seems as though you have quite the army mustered out there my dear." She looked back and forth between her daughters, "Which one of you is running the show?"

"That," Regina stepped forward, and at the same time shot her magic out towards her mother, "would be me."


	13. Chapter 13-Demons

**Hey Lovelies! Sorry for the break, I know it has been more than a week, and I apologize. Anyway this chapter is a little different than the rest, but I really like it so I hope that you will too. If any of you have been reading this since the beginning you know that I started out sharing a song each chapter. I plan on putting the complete list back up when the story is finished, but I'm guessing that a lot of people know the chapter I based this one one, Demons, by Imagine Dragons! The first part of this story has some dialogue straight from 2.16 The Miller's Daughter, and I hope that I remembered it all right! Enjoy! And Happy Reading!**

Chapter 13 – Demons

Down, down, down. It felt like falling, but everything around her was black. A void. Sucking her in and never letting her back out again. At first she fought it, the falling sensation, but in the end she realized it was inevitable, and she gave in.

Color. Bright swashes of red and gold. Memories. Of waltzes and gilded masks. She gave in to falling and suddenly everything was vivid and alive. Scenes from her life played before her, and all she could do was sit there and watch.

Demons. She could see them now, slowly closing in on her from all around. In her memories they were visible, tangible, strong, at the time they had been whispers, shadows, and doubt; all of the things that she ended up shrouding herself in. Demons. They had fed on her, and she had lived off of them.

Suddenly the memory shifted and refocused. She could still see the demons, in plain sight now that she was older, hidden from her past self.

"I'm a goose aren't I?"

"I don't know, let's find out. Can a goose waltz?" He led her to the center of the dance floor and everyone cleared a path for them.

"But I wouldn't want to stand in the way of someone purchasing you."

"Then what, are you doing here?" He bowed and her sharp tongue in return accompanied her curtsey.

"I just came for the free food. Exquisite mutton by the way."

A smile danced on the prince's face under his mask. "Thank you."

Cora watched as the demons in her memory circled even closer to her younger self when the King cut in.

"…There is straw on your dress. You carry the mill with you, miller's daughter."

They stopped dancing in the middle of the party, but no one around them seemed to notice that the King was having a spat with this girl in the center of the dance floor.

"What could you possibly have to offer us?"

She smiled to herself when she saw the demons in her memories slither into her past counterpart. When she watched their shadows blend with hers and their bodies slink into the folds of her blood red ball gown. And then followed the first of her many lies to King Xavier.

"I can turn straw, into gold. And solve all your woes."

And the deal was struck, a tower of straw into gold by morning, either a life with the prince, or a certain death.

That was the night she first let them in, and to this day they were still with her. Circling her, goading her, feeding off of her dark energy and encouraging her to stay her course. They were her friends, her family. Her demons were more a part of her than anything else, and she loved them for it.

* * *

The chink of armor, the swish of an arrow, the pull of the magic, she could feel it all. The camp was abuzz with the activities of life during battle. Everyone was practicing, preparing to take the kingdom by force, everyone but her.

Quiet. She wanted to find somewhere quiet to think. That wasn't what she was here to do though, so she gave herself up to the noise, to the pull of her sister's magic, and she joined in the battle planning.

Demons. She had carried her demons with her for all these years. She had killed the man that she loved. She had crushed his heart, in order to stop her sister's happiness, and now here she was fighting right beside her. She was working on vanquishing her demons.

"Zelena!" Regina was calling out to her as she moved across the camp towards the Queen's tent.

She raised a hand in greeting, "I'm coming!" She moved a little faster, closing the distance between them quickly. She felt her little sister wrap an arm around her and guide her inside. There were others in the tent; Belle and Red were there, along with Snow and Robin and even the little cricket. Was Regina really using the bug for guidance? She shook her head, but she didn't make eye contact with anyone as she took her seat.

She knew that they didn't trust her. They accepted her because she was Regina's sister, and because Regina and Robin had assured them that she was on their side, but she could tell. They didn't want her there, they felt the same way about her as they did about her mother, and she was afraid that her demons may show out of her eyes if she looked them too closely in the eye.

She pulled herself out of her downward spiraling thoughts and tried to focus on the counsel meeting going on around her.

"It's not that simple!" Regina was frustrated, "We can't just walk up to the castle with the intent to take the kingdom under my sole reign and expect my husband not to fight back!"

"I think we can." Robin was arguing with her, the first real argument Zelena had seen the two have. "I think that in your marriage you are the stronger force. I think that if you go walking back into your home with your daughter," he pointed across her to Snow, who was sitting on her left, "and your army," he threw his hand out towards the door that led to the camp, "he is going to bend over backwards to accommodate you."

"You didn't live with him Robin, you have no idea!"

"You didn't either! You lived with the cursed version of him! Do you even know the man he was before?"

Her sister fell quiet, but Zelena took the opportunity to speak up, "No, Robin, she didn't know him. Not well, but that doesn't matter." Every pair of eyes in the tent were now focused on her. She always attended their planning sessions, but rarely did she participate in them. "My sister knew the king for a month before they were married. That isn't enough time to get to know anyone. Not really, but like I said, it doesn't matter. The curse on the king remains."

"What?" Belle looked shocked, "I thought that their kiss," she pointed to the Queen and her Outlaw at the head of the round table, "was enough to break the curse?"

"It was, for the curse that I cast. Leopold, the way he treated her all of these years, that wasn't me."

Regina met Zelena's eyes across the table. She knew this; Cora had mentioned it shortly before she had killed her. "Mother…"

"Wait? I thought you cast the curse? What did Cora do?" Red was looking back and forth between Regina and Zelena, waiting for one of them to explain the situation to her. "I'm confused."

Belle put a hand on Red's arm, "You're not the only one."

"Zelena cursed everyone to Storybrooke. Her curse took our memories, and replaced our lives with the ones that we knew there. Mother added in a little something extra for Leopold." She reached out and took Snow's hand. "She reprogrammed his mind to be abusive and cruel, something that he never would have been before. For the month that I did know him before the curse he was kind and loving towards Snow and gentle and affectionate towards me. Everyone here knows that is not the man that I have been living with all of these years, and that is not the man that will be meeting us at the palace." She looked at Zelena, who nodded. "For Leopold, the curse broke, but at the same time, it didn't. There is no way I know of restoring the man that he used to be." She bent and looked Snow in the eyes. "I am so sorry Little Bird, I don't know if we can ever get your Daddy back."

The little girl wrapped her arms around her mother and let only one single tear escape her eye. "That's okay. I don't even remember what it was like not to be scared of him. I love you Mom, and if I ever have to choose, I'm choosing you."

The mother and daughter shared a quiet moment before Robin redirected the meeting back to taking the kingdom. "I still say we go walking up to the gates and see what happens. Who are the White Knights going to be loyal to anyway? A cruel and abusive king, or a strong and loving queen and their princess?" He reached for Regina's hand, "I think it's our best shot."

The young queen looked in every face around the table, pausing only when her sister wouldn't meet her eyes. "Zelena, look at me."

Emerald eyes came up to meet chocolate ones as the sisters stared at each other. "Alright." After a moment Regina turned her head and spoke to her soul mate. "Alright, we take the castle, by force. Tonight."

* * *

He felt the distinctive pull of the magic. The future was changing. Again. It had been in a constant flux since they had all arrived back here. He hadn't landed in his Dark Fortress like he thought he would. Instead he had ended up in the small village that he had lived in before he had become the Dark One.

It had surprised him that that was where he considered his home to be, even after all of these years. Since then he had been wandering. Traveling to all of the places that had truly meant something to him, watching the different versions of the future play out behind his eyes. Every time the young queen made a distinct decision regarding everyone's future he felt the same pull that he was feeling now.

He had made it back to the Dark Fortress this morning, only to find the road there torn up and it looked like camp had been made there recently by a lot of people. He wasn't surprised by what he had found in his room. There were markers showing that Cora had been there. She had come back; no doubt to ask him for something, only to find that he wasn't there. He had been caught up in his past, facing his own demons and trying to figure out his place in Regina's new version of the future.

Regina, he had seen her grow so much in these last days. It had been over a week since the curse had broken, she had formed and army, traveled the countryside, honed her magic, redeemed her sister, and by the looks of his foyer, captured her mother. She had grown to be a queen that was worthy of the realm before her. He gave in to the pull of the magic and let himself see the future that she had decided upon.

He saw her taking the castle by storm. He saw the guards embrace her control; he saw her falling in love. He saw her happy, but it was jumpy. Some of the characters in her future were still changing. There were some decisions that she still had to make. In some versions of her future he saw the King, in others there was Robin Hood. In one version there were both, in another neither. Things were still shifting, still liquid.

Then there was Cora. She was a constant in Regina's life, in Regina's future. She was always there, lurking as the dark fear that was constantly nagging at the pretty, little queen. She was wild, and composed, dangerous and beautiful. Rumple couldn't help smiling when he thought about her. He had loved her, for years. He knew it was futile, he knew that she had a bad habit of using him to get what she wanted, but he didn't care. He had made her the monster that she was, and he loved her for it.

He stood up from where he had been sitting and started moving towards the entry hall. He loved her. He had his demons and she had hers, but there was one thing for certain. There were some that they shared, and those were the ones that he fought with the most. He had made his monster years ago, now he had to get it back.

* * *

The castle was alive and running like nothing had ever changed. The king was stalking around the halls, brooding, and no one dared ask him what the matter was. This wasn't the king that they had all known all of their years here. No one had seen him like this, here in the Enchanted Forest, since the day that Queen Eva had died. Now he was constantly dark and miserable. There was no light in the palace, which had once been so bright and happy.

"Your Majesty?" A knight had entered the king's chambers. "Your Majesty, I'm sorry for the interruption, but they have been spotted."

The king's head shot up and he stopped pacing, "Where?" He growled the word and the knight swallowed hard before answering.

"The edge of the Dark Forest, sir. It seems that they are headed this way."

"About time! Does anyone know where they came back, and why they were not here when they awoke?"

"I'm not sure Your Majesty, but there is something else,"

"What?"

"Your Majesty, they aren't alone…"

The king moved quickly across the room and backed the young knight out the door. "What do you mean they aren't alone? Who is with them?"

"They are saying that the Queen is riding home with an army."

"An army? She has raised an army? What does she need an army for simply to return home?" He slammed the door in the knight's face and moved across to the window. He could see the shadow of the Dark Forest from here, but he couldn't make out the Queen, or her army riding out of it.

An army? What did she need an army for? She was the Queen; she didn't fight any battle that was his job. What was she doing? Unless…She wasn't stupid enough to think that she could take the kingdom from him was she?

He shook his head, he was being ridiculous, and there was no chance that she was planning on trying to take his crown. She was already the Queen; there was no point in fighting him he would win. He was her husband he would always win…

* * *

"Stop!" They had reached the edge of the Dark Forest. Regina could see the palace from here, and she held up a hand to stop the army advancing behind her. "Stop."

"Mother?" Snow rode up on her left hand side, "What's the matter?"

"Are we ready for this Little Bird? This isn't going to be easy."

"It's never easy." Robin joined them on her right. "But you have your mother locked up back there," He hitched a thumb over his shoulder, "And your sister is fighting by your side. Plus you have us, and your friends, and all of these people that are willing to fight with you. We are here to support you, so Your Majesty, whenever you are ready. We will take back your home."

"Thank you." She reached across the space separating them and took his hand. She looked over her shoulder to all of the people that were following them as they rode through the trees. "I wouldn't be here without you, so it's only right that you are here for this." She dropped his hand and turned to look at Snow. "Whatever happens from here on out I want you to promise me something okay?"

The little girl nodded and waited for her mother to continue.

"I want you to promise me that no matter what I tell you to do you will listen, and that you will follow my lead. I don't know exactly what is going to happen when we find your father in that palace, but I need to know that you are going to be safe okay?"

"Yes Mother. Now," She gathered her reins in her hands and turned her horse towards the edge of the tree line, "Let's go home."

"You heard the Princess!" Regina called out, "Let's go home!" And with that the queen's newly formed army rode out into the open, headed for the palace. Back towards the man she hated, the man she wanted nothing more than to rid the realm and her self of forever. The man that she feared most of all…


	14. Chapter 14-Not Ready To Make Nice

**Hello Lovelies! I don't know about anyone else, but the site is being really glitchy for me lately, so I was having some trouble getting this to post. I hope you all enjoy! Happy Reading!**

Chapter 14 – Not Ready To Make Nice

The king watched as they advanced on the castle at an alarming rate. For a rag-tag army, Regina's forces were something to be reckoned with. They covered the distance between the forest and the palace faster than he thought was humanly possible. He watched as his wife and daughter rode at the front of the group headed straight for the palace gates at a full on run.

From his window he couldn't see that the queen was using her magic to make her army seem more impressive than it actually was. She was speeding up their advances and had used a glamor spell to hide the fact that they didn't look battle ready at all. She was hoping that it wouldn't come to an actual fight, but everyone around her was gearing up for one as they rode.

"Regina!" She heard him cry out and turned over her shoulder to see him pointing straight ahead of them to where the gates of the castle were opening. She raised a hand to slow the entire party as the King and his soldiers came into view. They were still out of earshot of those waiting so she gave Robin a quick nod and he called out to her army. "Ready to arms! Prepare to fight!"

Regina turned to Snow, she could see the fear in the little girl's eyes, but to her surprise the young princess turned to her aunt, who was riding on her other side and nodded. Regina gasped when a bow and quiver appeared in her hands. The princess dropped her reins and strung the quiver over her shoulder. Riding only with her legs she notched and arrow and prepared for battle as well.

"Snow…"

She met her mother's eyes and though the fear still showed in them, her determination burned even brighter. "I will listen to you Mother, I promised you that, but I will fight next to you if you let me." Her green eyes came up to meet her mother's chocolate ones, and in that moment she saw the purple streaks flashing through them again. "You're ready Mom. We all are. Let's do this!"

Regina nodded and summoned her magic into her right hand, continuing to hold on to her horse with her left. "Alright," she magically amplified her voice so that everyone behind her, and all of Leopold's forces in front of her would hear, "Leopold!" She saw the king look up at the sound of her voice, but she kept talking. "We are returning to the palace of our own free will, but you should know that we will not be doing so under your control. You have been the controlling force in our marriage for far too long, and I won't be subjected to it any longer. Nor will I force our daughter to be." She paused as they rode a little closer so that the King could see that Snow was riding flush with her mother, and they were both harboring their weapon of choice.

"As you can see my dear, we are willing to take this kingdom from you by force if that is what it takes, but I truly don't want it to come to that. No one else needs to get hurt because of you and I." She halted her horse an arrows distance from the palace walls and raised a hand to halt those advancing behind her. "What do you say my dear? Can we settle this peacefully, or must I take your crown by force?"

The king looked furious, he was turning red and she could see that he was yelling at the herald riding beside him. When the horn blasted she knew she had no choice in the matter, and with a flash of her hand her forces raced around her to attack.

Over the clamor of the fight her voice could be heard, still magically amplified as she marched through her forces, helping wherever she could. "If anyone within the palace chooses to side with the Princess Snow White and myself they are free to do so. We only ask that you turn and fight with us now!" To her surprise a good number of the King's White Knights turned and pointed their swords in the direction that they had just come from. Choosing the strong, bright Queen over the brooding and dark King they had been serving since their return.

The battle raged on around them, but the small party of four that had led the army through the woods was advancing on the palace gates alone. They were headed straight for the King. When they got close enough to him all four of their black stallions came to a halt in a straight line. Two archers and two powerful sorceresses were too much for the King to take. He turned and rode back inside the palace walls.

They all started to advance, but the Queen rode ahead and turned her horse back to face the other three. "No, I go alone. Take care of each other. I will be back." She looked into Robin's eyes and smiled, "Believe in me?"

"Always…"

It took her awhile to find him. She hadn't lived in this palace, though it was technically her home. Finally she relied on her magic and she made her way to him. She found him on a balcony, overlooking the forest and the battle raging below them. When he heard her footsteps behind him he turned to face her and he was fuming.

"What in the hell are you playing at?" She didn't so much as blink at his anger. She simply stood there, waiting for him to go on. "You think that you can come in here and wage war on me with a band of peasants that you gathered along the way and you think you will win? What in the hell do you want Regina?"

"Safety Leopold! For me and for Snow! Do you even know what your daughter is doing at the moment?" She shot a hand out and watched as her magic settled over their daughter. Illuminating her so that her father could watch as she let an arrow fly from her bow towards on of the soldiers that had been advancing on Zelena from behind.

"She's fighting?" He turned from the scene before him and focused back on his wife. "Why are you allowing this? You know nothing of being a mother!"

"Oh really? I may be young Leopold, but I know more about being a parent to that child than you have ever bothered to learn! She loves you, but she will choose me dear! Because like it or not you made me her mother, and it is a job I take very seriously." She advanced on him, turning the tables on him for the first time in their marriage. "Do you know what happens when a mother sees her child in danger, and she has the power to stop the person responsible for that danger?" Her fingertips sparked with her magic, and she was close enough that he could see the purple sparks flying in her eyes.

The king had never seen this side of his pretty, obedient Queen, and he was sure that he didn't like it. He didn't know what to say to her, so he repeated his earlier question. "What do you want Regina?"

"I want you to disappear Leopold. I want this kingdom, and our daughter, and I want you out of my life for good."

Anger flashed in his eyes and he struck out faster than she could defend. His hand connected with her cheek, and there was a distinctive thud when her head hit the stone floor beneath their feet. He stood there for a few seconds, making sure that she didn't stir. "That, my darling, is never going to happen."

And with that he left her lying on the floor as he walked away to end the battle that was still raging below.

* * *

Cora was watching the battle take place from her cage. She kept replaying what had happened in Rumple's Dark Fortress in her mind. Why hadn't she blocked Regina's attempt at taking her down? Why hadn't she fought back? They more she thought about it, she realized that her daughter may have in fact, become more powerful than she.

"That would be me." Regina's words echoed in Cora's mind. She had shot magic out towards her and Cora had dodged it. She had moved out of the way, but Regina wasn't alone.

"Where do you think you are going Mother?" Zelena was closing in on her from the other side.

"I have a better question Mother," her focused switched back to her youngest, "Where is Father?"

Zelena stopped and looked at her curiously, "Yes Mother, I know what happened to everyone else in this curse, where is Daddy?"

Cora laughed, the same high, cold laugh that she had when she thought that she had won. "My dear girls think about it. What would my happy ending look like? It surely didn't contain your father."

"No!" Regina's cry nearly broke Zelena's heart, but she didn't deny their mother's words. She wouldn't put anything past the woman. Even killing her own husband, simply so she didn't have to deal with him. "How could you Mother?"

"I simply worked it into the curse that he would perish in transition. I had no more use for him. I had all the power that I wanted."

Regina's eyes had filled with her rage, and her magic was burning under her skin. Zelena moved closer to her, but Regina shook her head. "Stay where you are. She is coming with us, whether she wants to or not."

"Oh? How are you going to manage that my dear?"

"Magic Mother. Don't you remember, I believe someone once told you that one-day I would be more powerful than you ever were? Well, today is that day." Her hands shot out, and when Cora tried to move again Zelena's magic hit her from the other side. Her daughters were double teaming her while the outlaw just stood there and watched.

When she tried to move again she found she was trapped, and now here she was, a prisoner in her daughter's cage. Waiting to see if she was strong enough to take what she wanted. It may not have ended up the way that she had planned, but there was no doubting that Regina was fast becoming the strong Queen that Rumple had once predicted.

"My, my, my dearie. Whatever could you be thinking about so seriously?" Cora jumped at his voice, and turned to look up at the little man standing in front of her.

"Rumple? Where have you been?" Her tone was one of anger, but her eyes told a different story. "Can you get me out of here?"

"Can I?" He waved a hand and the door to her prison sprang free. "Now what do I get in return?"

"What do you want?"

His eyes glinted with a hint of mischief as he answered her. "You."

Her gasp was drowned out by the echoing of the king's battle horn calling an end to the battle that was taking place on the grounds.

"Come dearie, we have plans to make." And together they disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Snow looked around when she heard the sound of the horn. Zelena came up beside her and soon Robin joined them. They were all looking around for their Queen. A tear escaped Snow's eye when she saw her father walking out of the palace, smiling. "Mom…" Her cry was muffled by Zelena's chest when she turned into her to cry.

"Where is Regina?" Robin stepped in front of the girls and drew an arrow. He pointed it directly at Leopold, and asked again. "Where is the Queen?"

"She seems to have changed her mind. You will all be joining us in the palace, and we will continue to rule as we always have. Nothing will change today."

Robin looked over his shoulder at Zelena, and the rest of their army gathering behind him. He could see in both princess's eyes that neither one of them believed the king. Something had happened to Regina. He was sure of it. With an almost imperceptible nod Zelena gave him the okay and he turned back to the king.

"Okay. Lead the way Your Majesty."

"Snow White." The girl looked up at her father from under her aunt's arm. "Come here child."

"Where is my mother?"

"She is inside. Come along."

"No." She stood her ground and faced off with her father. "You must make a promise first."

"Excuse me?"

"A promise. I want your word that everyone in Mother's army. Everyone standing here with me and behind me will be pardoned and welcomed in our kingdom." She looked at him hard. "No exceptions."

He looked back and forth between Snow and Robin, before finally sighing. "Okay my dear. Everyone shall receive a pardon. Now come along."

The girl nodded, but she didn't let go of Zelena. Instead the pair of them made their way to the King. When they reached him, without him even noticing Zelena's hand flicked out and the king fell. Not a single person stopped to check on him as the Queen's entire army rushed the gates. Their Queen was injured and they were going to find her.

* * *

They ran through the halls, everyone searching for Regina when Zelena used her magic to track her. She, Robin and Snow all arrived in the hall over looking the forest, where the Queen had fallen. As they made their way towards her her body was enveloped in a cloud of smoke. When it cleared she was no longer lying on the floor. Instead her body was cradled in Rumple's arms, and a flick of Cora's wrist was they last thing they saw before the blood red smoke enveloped them again.

"Mom!"


	15. Chapter 15-You Haven't Seen The Last

**Hey lovelies! I know it's been two weeks since I posted an update on this story, and I apologize life seems to have gotten in my way. So this one is fresh off the press! Any mistakes I sincerely apologize for, and I will do my best to fix them. Enjoy! And Happy Reading!**

Chapter 15 – You Haven't Seen The Last Of Me

Snow was sobbing into Zelena's chest, and Zelena was doing her best to fight off her own tears. Rumple and Cora had disappeared clutching Regina's body, and no one knew for certain where they had gone. Robin was still on his knees, sitting exactly where he had fallen when they had disappeared. He hadn't made a sound, or moved a muscle, and he didn't notice the others coming into the hallway behind them.

When Belle, Ruby and Granny approached Zelena turned with Snow still clinging to her, to talk to them, but she couldn't seem to find her voice. Finally Belle broke the silence, "What's going on? Did you find Regina?"

At her words Snow started crying even harder, and Zelena pulled her closer. She met Belle's eyes and nodded, "Yes, and no. We found her, but before we could get to her Rumple and my Mother showed up. They carried her body off in a cloud of smoke."

Ruby's eyes went wide, "Her body?"

"Well, we didn't get the chance to check and see if,"

"She's alive." All eyes shifted to Robin, as he abruptly came out of his shocked state. "I would know, I would feel it if she was gone again. I brought her back, she's my True Love, and," he caught Snow's eye and smiled weakly, "she's my soulmate. I would know. The queen is alive, and we are going to get her back." With that he stormed off down the corridor, leaving them all to stare after him.

Granny turned to Zelena, "Where does he think he's going?"

The redhead shrugged her shoulders, but Snow gasped, tears still streaming down her cheeks, and pulled at her aunt's arm as she tried to tug her down the hall after the outlaw. "My dad! He's going to get my dad! Please, we have to stop him before someone gets hurt!" When Zelena stopped moving Snow turned back bewildered. "Come on! We have to stop this!"

"Why?"

"Because he may know where they took my mom, and if Robin does something terrible we may never find her! Aunt Z, please!"

Zelena considered her options for a moment, but then turned to Ruby, "Please, if you can head him off. We are right behind you."

Ruby nodded and suddenly a wolf stood before them. It looks once at Zelena, who nodded, and then took off down the hall.

"Well? Are we going or what?" Snow had already started jogging in the direction they had all come from.

* * *

"Gently Rumple! Don't wake her!"

"She's unconscious dearie, not asleep!"

"Still be careful!"

"I didn't realize you cared that much? After all, it was your idea to kidnap her in the first place…"

"I had my reasons." She snapped back at him. "We both know perfectly well, that my son-in-law would do just about anything to have her back. Especially if she was the dutiful, and obedient girl she always had been, not this strong, queen she has become. If we promise to return her to him, the way she always was, he will do whatever we ask. Why bother with running the kingdom yourself, when it's just as easy to pull the puppet strings?"

"Yes, yes, I know your reasons. I also know you have no intention of ever actually returning her to him." He grinned at the hint of mischief in her eyes. "See, I knew you'd never resist keeping her prisoner, but I have said this before my dear Cora, and I will say it again. Don't underestimate her."

"Ha. Here in this realm, she is nothing compared to me."

"True she may not have your skills, but her power overshadows yours, and she has something else too…"

She didn't grace him with a response, but he could tell she was waiting, curious to see what her youngest child possessed that she did not. He laughed and moved to stand directly behind her. He pressed his lips to the skin just behind her ear, and when he pulled away he whispered. "She has something worth fighting for."

The first thing she noticed as she came too was that it was cold. She was sure that it had been warmer than this when she had been arguing with Leopold. Ugh, Leopold. Everything that had happened came rushing back all at once. The argument, telling him she wanted him gone, banishing him from his own kingdom, and his hand. The sharp sting as his skin met with hers. The fall that had seemed to be in slow motion, and then, nothing. Everything went black, and then she was here.

Here. Where was here? Regina took a quick assessment of her body and decided that there was no way she was dead. She hurt too much to be dead. Slowly she let her senses drift away from her body, taking in all of her surroundings.

Here had turned out to be a bed, soft, and from what she could tell with her eyes still closed, large, but cold. There were voices, she tried to concentrate on them, make them out.

"Don't underestimate her." It was Rumple! What was he doing here? And then…

"Ha. Here in this realm, she is nothing compared to me." Mother! No, it couldn't be! She was locked up. Trapped in that enchanted cage. But then, Rumple had made the cage, of course he could open it.

She tried to refocus on their conversation, but failed. They were no longer speaking to each other. Instead she heard the sound of wet lips pressed on skin. The distinct sucking noise that went with open mouthed kisses. Gross! She had to do something. Fast.

* * *

"Where is she?" Robin had beaten everyone else back down to the entryway, and he was hovering threateningly over the king. "What have they done with her?"

Leopold had only just woken from whatever spell Zelena had cast, and he was thoroughly confused by the situation at hand. He looked at Robin as thought he had lost his senses. "What are you talking about? What have they done with who?"

Robin hauled Leopold up by the lapels of his jacket, and looked him square in the eye. "You tell me everything you know, or so help me…"

"Stop!" Robin's threat was cut short by a child's scream and a rather large wolf barreling into them. Snow ran over and laid a hand on Ruby's shoulder. "Let him up. I wish to speak to them both."

Slowly Ruby nodded and as she backed away from the men on the ground she shifted back into her human form. "Are you sure Snow?"

"Yes, if either one of them refuses to listen to me I have Aunt Z to help." She turned and looked at the redhead, silently asking if she had her back. When the witch nodded the princess stepped forward and extended her hand to the outlaw. "Come on Robin." She helped him up and then pointed to the side where Ruby and Belle were standing with Granny. "Go stand with them. I wish to speak to my father."

She watched as he moved stiffly over to where the others stood. Even an outlaw can get the wind knocked out of him by a full grown wolf. A smile flitted across her lips, but it was gone just as fast as it had come, there was someone missing from her picture perfect family, and she was going to get her back. When Snow turned around to face her father she was shocked. He had remained on the ground and if her eyes weren't playing tricks on her he was wearing an expression of hope. But she knew better, she wouldn't be falling for his tricks anymore, he had injured her mother, and she would never forgive him for that.

The king started to speak but she cut him off, "No Father, you are going to listen to me. I may be young, and I may not have magic, but I have something you don't. I have love. Love from Mother, and from all of the people in this kingdom that would gladly choose follow us than remain loyal to you. For you see Father, with love comes compassion, caring and empathy, things that you need to be a good leader. Mother has those, and thanks to her now so do I. If you hadn't remarried none of this would have happened, you wouldn't be at risk of losing your kingdom to your Queen, but then again, you would never have been cursed at all. Maybe I would have grown up good and kind at your hand alone, but now we will never know. I have made my choice Father, and I will never forgive you for everything you have done to this family. That being said, I am willing to plead a case for you eventually, if you help us find her now."

She paused and took a step closer to him, "What have they done with my Mother?"

"I, I don't know my darling," he reached a hand out towards her but she jerked back.

"Don't 'my darling' me. I may be your daughter, but I am not your darling, and I don't believe for one second that you have no idea what they did with her. Where did they take her?" She was yelling now, and tears were starting to sting at the back of her eyes. "What are they going to do to her?"

"Snow White," he got to his feet and tried to step towards her, but Zelena pulled her close, " you are a child. Finding your Mother is a big responsibility, if you'd allow me, I may not know their plans, but I am more than willing to help get her back. We need her here."

"No, I need her here." She stood straight in front of her aunt, and out of the corner of her eye she saw some of the guards that had switched their alliance to Regina. "You only want to control her, and hurt her. Something you will never do again." She gave a slight nod and the guards surrounded the king. "Take my Father to the dungeons, in the name of the Queen!"

Everyone stared after the bellowing king as he was dragged away from them towards the dungeons. Zelena was the first to break the silence. "Do you honestly think he doesn't know anything?"

Robin came up beside her and rested a hand on Snow's shoulder, "Oh no, he knows a great deal more than he was willing to share. I'm proud of you Snow, and your mother would be too."

She smiled a sad smile up at him and sighed. "What are we going to do now?"

Belle moved to stand in front of them, a dark gleam in her normally light and sparkling eyes. From the bag strung over her shoulder she pulled a glowing quill, "I have an idea."

* * *

Regina had been left alone in her room for awhile. She wasn't sure where in the castle she was, but she knew with absolute certainty she was in the Dark Fortress. And from what she could tell she was alone. There had been no sign of Rumple or her mother since the door had closed behind them earlier. She didn't know if that was a good omen, or an unfortunate one. If she was going to make it out of here without detection, it would have been easier knowing where the dangers lay waiting.

As cautiously as she could she crept to the door and opened it just enough for her body to slip through. She took in her surroundings, the East Wing, just down the hall from the room she and Zelena had slept in when they were children. That meant that her mother's room was right, she counted the doors as she crept along the dark hall, here. She paused in front of the grand oak doors, and pressed her ear to one, trying to decide if her mother was in there. She heard the muffled sound of voices.

"What do you mean you have to go? Where are you going that could possibly be more important than this?"

Rumple sighed, he had seen the near future play out, and this was how it had to go. He had to leave her here, knowing what was going to happen next. He had to leave them both here alone, and travel back to Leopold's, well Regina's now, castle. He had known that one day it would play out like this, that the tables would turn, but now they were here, and everything had changed. "I have to go back."

"Go back where? To that palace, to Storybrooke, to where Rumple?"

"First to the palace, and then, it doesn't matter. What matters is that I have to go. Now." He pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. He knew without a doubt that he would see her again, it was just a matter of time, but right now, it felt like it would be forever. A soft kiss to her forehead, and he stepped away. With a flick of his wrist he was gone.

Regina heard the voices stop and assumed that one of them had used magic to leave the room. The problem was she didn't know which one, nor where they had gone. Luckily one of her questions was answered when she heard her mother scream, and the telltale sounds of glass vials shattering as they hit the walls. What ever had gone down in there it hadn't ended well.

She wished that she could have made out what they were saying, but the wooden doors had proved too thick for better spying to be accomplished. Rumple had left, and her mother was in a rage, that was more than enough information to get out of here. She turned and ran as quietly as she could manage for the front doors. She threw them open, and a sense of dread washed over her, of course, it had been too easy.

"Just where do you think you are going?" Cora was waiting just outside the gates. With a flip of her wrist they were standing in the dining hall, back inside the palace. "I don't suppose you think you can just walk right out the front door do you?"

"It was worth a chance Mother. I thought you were in your room, so I took a risk."

"One that obviously didn't pan out too well. Why didn't you just try and magic yourself out of here?" A sly grin crept over her face, they both knew that Rumple had limited her powers, making transporting herself home impossible.

"I knew better than that Mother." She switched tactics, going on the offensive instead, "Tell me, why did you bring me here? Why take me away from your puppet, when obviously his strings are still in tact?"

"You are far harder to control than we thought you would be. Rumple told me once that you would be queen one day, and I didn't believe him. You weren't ever strong enough, but now, now I think he may have been right. You are far stronger than your simple minded King, if we worked together we could control everything."

"Is that what you would have me do Mother?" She moved around the end of the table, careful so that her mother didn't reason out her movements. "Would you have me become your puppet instead of him?" She was now standing at one end of the table, and her mother was at the other. Cora's back to the one object in the room that never seemed to move. The looking glass.

"My dear, you wouldn't be a puppet, you would be the Queen! And I would be at your side to guide you. To help you make all of the important decisions." Regina had moved slowly forward as Cora was speaking. The two now stood face to face in front of the mirror.

"And what if I choose differently Mother? What if I don't want your help being queen?"

"Why, my dear," a cold smile cracked across the older witch's face, "that's just not an option."

"Don't underestimate me Mother." And with a push of the magic Rumple had allowed her to keep Regina shoved Cora backwards into the looking glass. The lower half of her body disappearing instantly, while her hands grabbed at the edges.

"You will never be rid of me this easily my dear! For one day I will return, and I will rule this kingdom, with or without you! You haven't seen the last of me my darling girl! Just you wait!"

One last shove of magic from the young queen and Cora was thrown out of the Enchanted Forest. The looking glass shattered and Regina was alone.


	16. Chapter 16-Little Toy Guns

**Hey Lovelies! So this is Chapter 16 of this doc and I am almost positive that it is going to round out at 19 and an epilogue. That means we are getting so close! I'm not going to lie I thought this was going to be an easy chapter to write, and boy was I wrong! So here you go, after hours of biting my nails and pulling my hair trying to make this end up they way I planned, I give you... Little Toy Guns. Enjoy and Happy Reading! **

Chapter 16 – Little Toy Guns

They had called for him. They had asked him to come, and he knew what they were planning. He had seen all of this come to pass. He knew that by the time it happened Cora would be gone, banished to another realm at Regina's hand. Since Regina had reached her final decision he knew that this was to be, but all of that and he still didn't know if he was ready.

With a flash of smoke he appeared in front of them, everyone but Zelena took a careful step backwards. "Well, well, what have we here? A band of misfits, pretending to be heroes?"

"Oh give it a rest Rumple, you know as well as I do why you are here. My only question is why did you come?"

"You called for me dearie, why wouldn't I come?" She gave him a pointed stare. "Ah right, the whole, seeing the future thing. You know as well as I do that the future can change dearie. After all, look how you turned out. Nobody would have dreamed you would find your place at Regina's side, after you ripped out your true love's heart to curse her." She flinched, but stood her ground.

"Enough Dark One, we want to make a deal." Robin stepped up shoulder to shoulder with Zelena.

"Oh yes, I know about your deal. You want me to sign that contract in your bookworm's bag, the one saying that I will return Regina to you, and henceforth never cause harm to her again, so long as you all never threaten me in any way."

They all gazed open mouthed at him. "What part of 'see the future' do you all not get?" He sneered at them. "There is no point in negotiating, I already know I agree in the end, so let's just get on with it." He magicked a quill out of the air and held out his hand towards Robin.

"Oh no, if you're so willing and eager to do this you do it our way. That way any loopholes or poor wording is entirely our own fault. Belle?" He turned to look over his shoulder and jerked his head forward. She left Snow standing with Ruby and Granny and moved forward to stand in front of Rumple.

She pulled the contract and the glowing quill from her bag. With a smile that was just a little too sweet she handed over the quill and unrolled the parchment. "On the dotted line if you please."

He bent and looked over the scroll once before raising the quill to it. He knew the consequences of signing with this quill, another princess had tried, and failed to use it on him long ago. This time he let it happen. He let the magic flood over him as he completed his signature, and he felt the effects take hold. He was paralyzed, frozen, and his magic was caged.

There was a special cell that had been made long ago to house the Dark One. It was there that Zelena transported them all. Using her own powers she sealed his prison, cutting off his magic, just as he had foreseen.

When the cell was shut for good he was no longer paralyzed, and he grinned. He pressed his face to the bars and let his expression catch all of their notice.

"What are you smiling about Dark One? There is no escaping that prison cell."

"Oh I have no need to leave, I am perfectly content right here where I need to be. You all on the other hand, may want to return to your new home. Just because I'm now trapped here, doesn't mean I didn't leave you one last gift." His laughter echoed after them as Zelena once again whisked them all away.

* * *

She had felt the magic reenter her body. It was like an enormous swell of energy, she imagined it was how the sea must feel right before the waves begin to break. But she didn't get the chance to revel in the sensation. Instead she felt an immediate pull, like gravity, increasing on her until she gave in to the pull of the magic.

Giving in wasn't her style. At least not anymore, but when she opened her eyes, she was glad that she had done it this time. For when she opened her eyes she was miles away from the Dark Fortress, miles away from what she had done to her mother, she was home. Well, that is to say she was standing in the one hall that she remembered of this place.

She looked around her, trying to decide which way she should go. She was, after all, queen, and it was her castle, but that didn't mean that Leopold still didn't have people here working for him. She weighed both options and decided to head in the direction that she had come from the other day.

She hadn't made it three steps when she felt the magic in the air. She spun around in time to see a group of people appearing in a cloud of green smoke. "Zelena?" She called out tentatively. Hoping like hell it was her sister's magic that she was feeling all around her.

"Regina?" There was a note of hope in her voice, and she pushed through the people until her vision cleared of all the smoke. A dazzling smile broke across her face when she saw her little sister. "You're our gift!"

"What?" Regina opened her arms and caught her older sister in a hug as the redhead came barreling towards her. She was laughing when she let go, "I'm your what?"

"Our gift…" She laughed, "I'll explain later, right now…" She stepped to the side.

"Mom!" Snow came running at the pair of them, and Regina barely got herself disentangled from Zelena in time to catch her. "Thank goodness you're alright! I was so scared that I had lost you! You were hurt, and on the ground, and then Rumple came, and Cora, but now Rumple's locked up, and Dad's in the dungeon, and I don't know where Cora is, but your back, and you're okay, and I'm so happy!"

It all came out very fast and Regina wasn't quite sure that she caught all of it, but right in that moment she didn't care, because as she looked up from where her head rested on Snow's her eyes found Robin's and everything else seemed to melt away.

She planted a kiss on the top of Snow's head and held her away from her body, "I love you too Little Bird, and I will go back to hugging you, but there is one thing I need to do first."

Snow looked over her shoulder to where Robin was standing with the Belle and Ruby and Granny. She met her mother's eyes and nodded, stepping out of her arms and to the side. Clearing a path for the two to meet.

They both moved at the same time, almost in slow motion as they stepped towards one another. The queen and her thief met in the middle of the hall, where the windows looked out across the entire kingdom. She practically fell into his arms when they wrapped around her waist and her hands got lost in his light brown curls. There was nothing that could separate them, for he had lost her once, and brought her back. The pain of almost losing her again was too much to bear.

He had her in his arms, and he was lost in her eyes, they didn't say a word, they didn't need too, and they couldn't have cared less that there were people watching them. In that moment they were the only two people in the world, two halves of the same soul that had found each other at last. When their lips met everything changed again.

This time the power of their light magic was enough to wash all of the darkness out of the castle. Anyone loyal to the king found themselves in the dungeons along with him. The windows flew open and sunlight shone in every corner of the king's dark palace. Magic danced in Regina's eyes when they pulled apart, and it crackled on her skin. She was electric, she was on fire, and she had never felt more alive.

Ruby looked around and then focused on the couple in front of her. "Umm, woah."

Belle laughed and grabbed her arm. "Well they are soul mates. I guess that's what they mean when they say True Love conquers all."

Regina's face turned suddenly serious. "Maybe not all, where is the king?"

Snow rejoined Regina and Robin, squeezing herself between them so she was wrapped in their hug. "The dungeons." She said it so matter of factly that Regina was surprised.

"Really?"

The princess nodded, "Yes, on my orders, in your name."

"In my name?"

Robin chuckled, "I believe her exact phrasing was, 'Take my Father to the dungeons, in the name of the Queen!'Am I right Princess?"

"I believe that was exactly it." She smiled at him before turning back to her mother. "Then we trapped Rumple."

"No one can trap Rumple."

"Well we did," she turned to look at her sister, "he went willingly, like it was all part of his master plan." Zelena shrugged. "It doesn't matter he is locked in the Dark One's cell for the foreseeable future." They both laughed, but no one else seemed to find their little joke quite as funny. When Zelena regained her composure she caught Regina's eye, "What became of Mother?"

"She's gone."

"Gone where?"

"Through the looking glass."

Zelena gasped, "You don't mean…"

Regina nodded, "Yes, that looking glass. I shoved her through and it shattered, but not before she swore to return and one day rule this kingdom. With or without me." There was only a small hint of regret for what she had done to Cora. Right now she was gone, and until she returned Regina would try to put her out of her mind.

She threw a smile on her face and backed away from Snow and Robin. She held out her hand to the princess, "What do you say Little Bird, I could use a tour of our new palace?" Snow grabbed her hand and together they bid farewell to the others and swept gracefully down the hall.

After wandering through nearly every room in the large palace the queen stopped in front of a set of solid oak doors that reminded her of the ones in the Dark Fortress. "Snow," she looked down at her daughter, "where do those lead to?"

Her answer was hesitant, but with a sigh she replied, "To the dungeons. I'd imagine they are rather full at the moment, Father and all of his supporters are down there."

"How many people here still supported him?"

The girl shrugged. "I don't know, but it was empty before this morning, now, who knows?"

Regina stepped towards the door, but Snow planted her feet. "What are you doing?"

"Going down there to find out how many prisoners we have." She smiled, "I'd rather like to find out if any of them would consider switching sides."

"But Mother, what about Father? Her crystalline eyes were wide with anticipation. "Are you sure that you want to go down there with him? What if you get hurt again?"

"I promise you I can handle your Father Little Bird. Come on," she gave a small tug on Snow's hand, and defeated the little girl followed the young queen into the dungeons.

Regina was glad to see that over half of the cells were still empty, in a few she found Leopold's knights, those that had remained loyal to him when she took the castle. In others she found members of his household, including his valet and the butler. Of this she was not surprised. As she passed she offered every one of them the same thing, a pardon and redemption, if they would swear an oath to either herself or to Snow White. Something very few of them looked willing to accept.

By the time she reached Leopold's cell, he knew she was there. He had heard her coming, and he was anxiously awaiting her. He stood when she came into sight, an act of respect he had never given his queen. "Your Majesty." An incline of his head was as far as he would go towards bowing to her, but she was impressed even with that. "What brings you down to the dungeons?"

"You, Leopold." She was still holding Snow's hand in hers so she used her left hand to magically unlock his door. His eyes went wide when the door opened in front of him, and Regina just smiled, "Follow along dear." She turned and with the princess in tow she swept out of the dungeons, the king at their heels.

When they arrived back in the courtyard Regina stopped and dropped Snow's hand. "Go find Ruby and Belle and start getting ready for dinner please."

"Yes Mother." With a dip of her head to Regina, and not so much as even a backwards glance at her father she slipped away from them.

He watched her leave before his eyes fell back on his wife. She stood before him in the same dress he had last seen her in. She looked ruffled and shaken, like she had been through one hell of a fight, but he couldn't deny that she was still beautiful. Loose curls falling down around her where her hair had come undone, no makeup other than wind blown blush and bitten red lips. She was still The Fairest Of Them All.

"Well Regina, now that you have sent my daughter away, what is it that you are planning on doing to me?"

"First of all, she has chosen me, therefore she is my daughter now, not yours. Secondly, I have no plans, other than to speak to you about everything that has happened." She tuned and headed out of the courtyard, "Well," she called over her shoulder, "come on, I don't intend to discuss it out here for everyone to hear."

Silently he followed her down the corridor and into the rooms he had once set aside just for her. When he heard the door close behind him he pounced, pinning her back to the bedpost. "That wasn't very intelligent my dear, you should have considered the benefits of having witnesses."

She didn't struggle or squirm, she just stood there, his body pressed roughly against hers, waiting.

. His hand closed around her jaw and he brought his mouth crashing down into hers. She didn't fight him, and he pulled back surprised. "No fire today my queen? No resistance to my advances? What a shame, I was looking forward to a good fight."

She smiled softly when he pulled away from her and moved across the room, she was winning her little game, and he didn't even know they were playing. "Leopold, I said I wanted to talk."

He spun around to face her, "Talk? You want to talk? About what? How you stole my daughter from me? How you waltzed right in on that great, black stallion and took the entire kingdom without hardly raising a finger? Or maybe about how your mother has been controlling everything, and everyone like little puppets in her twisted game? Huh? Are those the things you want to talk about?"

He was inches from her face once more, and he was screaming, but she didn't so much as flinch. She knew what she was doing, how close to the edge she was pushing him. His hands wrapped around her waist, so tightly that she was sure that bruises were reforming where they had only recently faded away. He pulled her close, she could feel him pressing in on her as he lowered his voice to a whisper.

"You may want to talk, but I am your husband and the king, and you will do as I command. You can act the big, conquering heroine, but this is still my castle, and you are still my wife." He moved his right hand from her hip to her chin and took hold of her jaw. "Look at me Regina, I want to see the magic leave your eyes when I take what is rightfully mine."

She couldn't help the tears stinging the backs of her eyes, but she could force them to stay hidden. Years of memories raced through her mind as she heard the fabric of her dress tear when he ripped her skirts away. She braced herself, knowing all too well what he was going to try and do. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the door open. She saw the look of horror on Robin's face when he realized what was happening.

Immediately he started towards her, intending to throw the king off. Ever so subtly, so the king wouldn't notice, she shook her head. The outlaw stood perfectly still and watched as the monster that was once a kind and gentle man ravaged the skin on the queen's neck and what was exposed of her chest. He didn't know why she was letting him take advantage of her, but he was sure that his soul mate had a plan.

And he was right. This was all a part of the game she was playing, and she was still winning. Robin watched as the king grew frustrated with her when she resisted him. He forced her back until her legs were pressed against the bed, but she fought him. Refusing to succumb to boisterous advances. Robin sucked in a breath when he saw the king's arm shift back, he knew what was coming, and so did Regina.

She held her eyes open when the blow landed across her cheek. She locked gazes with her assailant, forcing him to watch as the magic exploded in her eyes. He knew he was done for, that she was stronger than he was. Looking in her purple tinted eyes he realized that it had all been a game, a show, to get him exactly where she wanted him.

"You wretched, little witch!" Robin had left the door open and Leopold's angry screams drew the attention of the guards in the corridor. When they entered the room behind the outlaw they stopped, watching the scene that was playing out before them.

The petite, young queen, standing in her bedchamber a with her dress in shambles and a bruised and bloody face, across from the once grand king that was twice her size. The survivor of the abuse, standing straight in front of her attacker, ready to do battle.

"I may be little my dear," the term of endearment sounded vile and nasty when she said it, "and I am most definitely a witch." The air cracked around them, forcing the king to take a step back from her. "But I am not wretched, and I am most certainly no longer your wife. This is my castle, my kingdom and my family. You are no longer welcome here." She took a step to the side so that she was standing in front of the balcony doors. "From this moment on you are henceforth stripped of all titles, assets and possessions. You are removed from power, and banished from the kingdom of Misthaven."

"Over my dead body!" He lunged forward once more, catching her other cheek with his fist as he flew past her.

When the guards, and Robin were asked later on they would all claim to have missed what actually happened in the queen's chambers right then. They would say that something else had distracted them, and that when they looked back the king has tripped, stumbled and fallen over the balcony rails before anyone could help him. No one would ever mention that the doors had been closed, that the king never would have made it all the way to the edge before falling, or the fact that the queen seemed to be emitting enough magic in that moment to slay a dragon.

Conveniently all of those details were lost. The only remnants of what happened that night were the lifeless body of a cruel man, and the hand shaped bruises and busted lips of a beautiful woman. That is, until you looked a little closer…


	17. Chapter 17-Safe and Sound

**Hey Lovelies! I know these are supposed to go up on the weekend, but I had a family reunion and I didn't get a chance to post it! Sorry! Anyway, here is the next chapter, and I'm glad to say we get a chance to breathe with this one! Enjoy and Happy Reading!**

Chapter 17 – Safe and Sound

A month after the king had fallen from the Queen's balcony there was not a soul left in the kingdom that was left mourning the man. The Queen had not forbidden it, but she had gained the loyalty of her subjects and no one felt the loss of the king was anything to cry over. There were some that remembered the loving and kind soul that had once been a part of their lives, but many only saw the monster that Cora had created. The man that had beaten and raped his young wife, leaving behind hidden wounds that may never heal.

Regina stood on that same fateful balcony, overlooking the courtyard and staring out into the gardens. The moon shone bright overhead and the only sounds that could be heard were the rustling of leaves in the night breeze. The palace was quiet, and she had learned to appreciate the silence.

It was her dreams that were haunting her now. Troubling her as she slept, and letting her find no peace from the never-ending hardships that came from ruling this kingdom. She sighed as she looked out over the gardens; nothing was ever simple was it? She laughed lightly to herself.

"What's so funny my queen?" She jumped slightly at the voice, but when he came up beside her and wrapped an arm gently around her waist she relaxed. She hadn't heard him come in, but she was glad to have him there.

"Me." She turned to face him and placed both of her palms on his chest as she spoke. "I am funny. I didn't ask for this, any of this, and here I am. The Queen of a kingdom that I never wanted, a mother who had never given birth, and a witch with stronger powers that any have ever seen. And yet I cannot sleep because I am afraid of what I will see."

Concern filled the outlaw's eyes as he studied his soul mate. "What is it, what do you see?"

She shook her head, "Nothing, there is no need for you to worry about it. It is just a silly dream."

"It's not a silly dream, not if it is causing you all of these sleepless nights. Regina, what do you see?"

When she finally met his eyes, he was shocked, there was hardly any purple left in them, the magic that burned so brightly in her during the day was washed out. Instead he saw the tears sitting in her chocolate eyes and he wrapped his arms around her. Pulling her in close and nuzzling her hair. "Oh my queen, what is it?"

"It's him. Here's here, Robin. In this room, in my dreams, he is here." Her voice was muffled from where she had buried her face in his shirt, but he could still hear her. "He knows what I did, that I tricked him. I played him Robin, and in doing so I killed him. How do I live with myself? What if in some cosmic way this all comes back to haunt me one day?"

"Regina, you are safe here now. No one is going to hurt you; no one wants to hurt you. You and Snow are both free of that man forever. There is no reason for you to feel like you did anything wrong, he tripped Regina, and he fell over your balcony. You know that."

She pushed her hands into his chest and leaned away from him. Her eyes were still watery, but the magic was rising in them again, and she fixed him with a piercing stare. "You know as well as I do Robin that that is not was happened that night. I was toying with him, taunting him, letting him think that he was going to get away with it again. You were here Robin, you saw what I did, even if you will never admit it!"

She was upset, the fact that she had killed Leopold without so much as a second thought was eating her alive. She had thought it all out, planned the best way to do it, she had murdered her husband, and the people loved her for it. Even Snow wasn't angry with her; she just accepted that Regina was the only parent left in her life.

"Regina…"

"No Robin. Don't." She pulled away from him and moved back off of the balcony. He gave her a minute to herself before he followed her back inside. "I'm sorry."

He looked across the room at her and smiled softly. She was beautiful, in her long ivory nightdress and her lavender wrap she looked so young, and untouched by the world, only Robin could see deeper to the struggles in her eyes, and the marks under her skin. She was still damaged, still fragile, and he was still learning how to treat her. Cautiously, hands held slightly in front of him, he moved towards her, and gently pulled her into his arms. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

Silent tears streamed down her cheeks as she leaned into his embrace, "Oh yes I do."

The next morning it was as if the night before had never happened. Regina was the perfect picture of a queen. Wrapped in satin and lace, with her hair styled elaborately on her head few could see the signs of last night's woes on her face. She made it through breakfast, and lunch, and was halfway through an afternoon council meeting when she gave up. Quietly she excused herself from the table and fled the hall. She had collapsed on a bench in the gardens when Zelena finally caught up to her.

She sank down on the grass in front of her sister and tried to catch her eye, but Regina wouldn't look at her. "Regina? Hey, Regina. Sister, look at me!"

Finally the queen looked up and found Zelena smiling. "Shouldn't you be in the council meeting?"

"I am only your sister, you are the queen, shouldn't you be in the council meeting?"

Regina playfully hit Zelena's shoulder, but it was enough to knock her off balance and the redhead went tumbling to the ground. "Hey!" Using her magic, the elder princess shoved the queen off of the bench backwards into the fountain, effectively ruining her dress.

"Hey!" There was a playful gleam in the queen's eyes as she stood, dripping in the middle of her fountain. "Magic is cheating! And mine was an accident!"

"It's not cheating if both parties can use it, and I don't believe it was all that accidental sis!" She laughed and righted herself, only to find a jet of water come shooting out of the fountain towards her. "Regina!"

"What?" Her sweet, fake innocence wouldn't work on Zelena. Not anymore. She was all too mischievous nowadays for anyone to buy that act.

"Oh nothing, nothing at all…" Water sprayed Regina from behind as Zelena too faked innocence of the entire situation.

When neither one of them had returned to the council meeting after a quarter of an hour, Robin called the session to an end. He and Snow went looking for the queen and her sister. When they found them they were shocked.

Both women were standing in the middle of the fountain dripping wet and shooting magical jets of water at the other. Robin tried to stop his laugh before it escaped his lips, but he couldn't help it. When they heard him, they stopped what they were doing and both tried to plaster innocent smiles on their lips.

Snow was not nearly as amused as Robin. "What are you doing?" Her cry was almost desperate and for a moment Regina was concerned. "You are ruining your dresses!"

The sisters exchanged a glance and then both succumbed to fits of laughter. Regina's was strong enough she found herself sitting in the water by the time she had calmed down. The look of horror on her daughter's face was enough to cause her to giggle again as she motioned the girl forward. "Oh Little Bird, they are just dresses. We were only having a bit of fun."

"Yes, Princess," Zelena smiled and locked eyes with her sister, "It was just a bit of fun."

"Well it is careless, you are supposed to be ruling the kingdom, not playing in the fountain!"

"Oh Snow," Regina reached out for her and she shrunk back, not wanting her mother to get her wet. Only she shrunk back into Robin's chest.

The princess felt his arms wrap around her and before she could cry out in protest she found herself sprawled in the water between her mother and her aunt. "NO!" She scrambled to her feet and looked down at her ruined dress, "Oh no!"

Together Regina and Zelena made the water dance around the princess. It picked up her skirts and her hair and spun around her in a beautiful twist. Slowly her torment faded away and a smile crept over her lips. They kept up the water show until she couldn't help herself any longer and she laughed. "Okay, okay, stop!" She was still laughing when the water all died down.

The three of them stood in the fountain laughing, "See Little Bird, it was only a little bit of fun."

"Come on ladies," Robin held out his hand and both Snow and Zelena climbed out of the water. When he reached up one last time for the queen he felt himself get tugged over the low wall to join her instead. He laughed when the water lapped playfully at his legs, alive with her magic. She leaned in to kiss him and the water came up all around them, cutting them off from the view of the others. Laughing, together they stepped through the water wall and out of the fountain. The four of them made their way back into the palace and dried off for dinner.

Many days went by in this manner, darkness and dreams haunting the queen's nights, and laughter and smiles filling her days. It was late summer, as the leaves began to change from green to red that she left.

She went to the stables, saddle Rocinante, and left. She didn't intend to go far. She planned on coming back, but she had no real destination in mind when she set out. It was only after riding for a time that she realized where her subconscious had taken her. A small smile played at her lips as she dismounted and tied her stallion at the mouth of the cave.

She was the queen of fire, and so with only the magic burning in her eyes did she make her way through the winding twist and turns of the cave. When she saw the outline of the bars ahead of her she stopped. Suddenly unsure of why she had come here.

"Well, dearie, are you going to come any closer?" His voice was soft, and kind. The voice he had spoken to her with when she was a child.

"Rumple…" She stepped towards the cell and he came into view. Sitting against the back wall of his prison. As if he had been waiting for her, but then again, she supposed he had.

"Dearie." He got up and moved across the small space towards the bars that separated them. "What have you come here?"

She looked across at him with sadness and power mixed up in her eyes. "I'm not sure I did it on purpose, but now that I'm here…"

"You needed someone to talk to?"

She smiled weakly, "Yes."

"Well then my dear queen, speak."

She sighed and sank to the ground in front of his cell. Her back pressed against the bars. Slowly he sat down behind her, their backs pressed together through the cage.

"I don't know what to do Rumple."

"What do you mean? From what I can see you seem to have everything worked out splendidly."

"But that's just it. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. It can't be as simple as this. It has been so hard for so long now."

His fingers slipped through the bars and he took her hand in his. "Dearie, I know that you are scared, but there is nothing left to be frightened of anymore. You are the queen, and your mother is gone. The whole kingdom is at your feet. But that's not what you are afraid of is it?"

She shook her head. "No. It's not."

"The power?"

"The magic." There were tears in her eyes now, and though her back was to him he could hear them in her voice. "It's so strong, and so tempting. Sometimes it is extremely hard not to just give in. To let it control me instead of the other way around.

"Regina, in your case magic is a gift, not a curse. I told your mother once, a long time ago, that your power was great, but that your beauty surpassed it. I was wrong. Though there is no doubt that you are by far, The Fairest of Them All, I have to say that your strength of character, has far surpassed both." He sighed. "I know what happened with the king Regina. I saw that it was to be, but no matter what you think, the magic was not controlling you then. You were still controlling it. You did the only thing you knew how to do to protect yourself and your daughter, and you should be proud of that."

He reached through the bars and turned her chin to face him. "Just as I am proud of you." He pressed a kiss to her forehead and pulled away from her, retreating back into his cell. "Go home Regina, and live your life without fearing your magic. Fear will only be your enemy dearie. Embrace who you are."

She nodded and a single tear carved a path down her cheek. "Thank you Rumple."

"Anytime."

She backed away from the cell until she was forced to turn, and then she followed the fire within her self back to the entrance. She mounted Rocinante and rode back to the palace.

She had no idea how long she had been gone from the palace, but when she returned the place was in an uproar. In seconds she had deduced the reasoning for the chaos was that she, Regina, was missing. She chuckled and magically enhanced her voice so that when she whistled through her teeth it was heard through the entire castle.

Everyone froze when they heard the piercing noise echo around the stone walls. All eyes traveled to source of the sound, and a sigh of relief came from many when they saw the queen. Sitting on top of her mount she was a solid two-foot taller than everyone around her, and with her voice magnified she looked every bit of a queen.

"What in the name of heaven is going on here?"

A crash sounded from behind a set of doors to her left and Robin came stumbling out of them. "Where have you been?"

"Excuse me?"

"No one has seen you for almost an entire day!"

She smiled at everyone still standing in the courtyard, "Please, everyone, as you can see I am perfectly fine, go back to what you would normally be doing." She slipped off of the horse, and took the enchantment from her voice. She turned to a nearby stable hand. "Please tend to him."

"Of course Your Majesty." The boy bowed to her slightly as he took the reins from her hand and led Rocinante away.

Regina turned back to Robin. "I'm sorry. There was something I had to do."

"And it took you an entire day?"

"I didn't realize it at the time, but yes, I assume it did." She marched past him and flew through the halls towards her chambers. She didn't stop him when he followed her inside; instead she let him follow and proceeded to get ready for bed. When she emerged from her bathroom he was still waiting for her.

"Are you going to tell me where you went today?"

"No." He raised an eyebrow at her. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that I learned quite a lot about my self today. And I think I'm finally ready to embrace it."

"Oh?"

She smiled and stepped into his waiting arms. After holding her for a moment he started to pull away so she could get some rest, but she only held on tighter. "Don't leave me here alone."

He looked down at the top of her head buried in his chest and pulled her tighter. He pressed his lips to her curls and smiled, "I'll never let you go."


	18. Chapter 18-I Cross My Heart

**Hey Lovelies! One more chapter after this one and then an epilogue! We are getting so close, can you feel it? I can! I hope you enjoy this chapter! A little more fluff not as much chaos! Enjoy and Happy Reading!**

Chapter 18 – I Cross My Heart

The leaves and the seasons changed and everything began to run as it should in the kingdom. Regina embraced her magic completely. Using the Light and acknowledging the Dark, she was able to maintain a sense of balance in herself that she hadn't had before. Her kingdom was thriving, her daughter was happy and she dared to say that she had fallen for the outlaw, one hundred percent, heart and soul.

Everyone knew that the Queen was spoken for. They assumed that one day they would have an outlaw as a king, but very few had been expecting what had happened on that fateful morning, the one that changed everything.

She was holding court, an open session in which she allowed anyone in the kingdom a brief audience with her. There were farmers and merchants and people from all walks of life that entered the palace on these days. She found that it was helpful for them to bring their problems straight to the Queen. It made them feel like she truly cared for them. And in truth, she did. She took their words to heart, and spent hours with her council after each session trying to decide what they could do to help.

But on this particular day it wasn't a merchant that caused the biggest reaction, it wasn't even a farmer, instead it was a young steward. He had come to the palace, not in search of the Queen, like everyone else, no, he had entered her throne room and called to speak to Robin Hood.

"Your Majesty." The steward bowed before her. "I have come from one of the northernmost parts of your kingdom, and I am here in search of a man that has been rumored to be a part of your household."

"Oh? And who may I ask are you searching for young man?"

He met her eyes and he saw that she was smiling. It seemed that the rumors of the beautiful and kind queen were true. "I believe here he goes by Robin Hood Your Majesty."

"Ah." She waved a hand and a man appeared in a cloud of lavender smoke.

He coughed and looked around him, trying to find her. "Regina!"

She laughed, "Yes?" Her reply sounded so sweet and innocent, but it was laced with the flirtatious edge everyone at court had come to expect from the two of them.

"Must you use your magic to transport me from there to here? You couldn't have simply sent someone to find me?"

"I'm afraid not. For you see this young man has come here to see you, not me, and I didn't think he should be kept waiting." She directed his attention to the man standing before her.

Robin's eyes grew wide as he stepped forward to embrace the young steward. "Will?"

"Aye, Rob, it's been a long time. I didn't know if I would actually find you here, but there have been many rumors flying around back home that our outlaw has found his place with the queen." He inclined his head respectfully at Regina before he continued. "I need to talk to you, sir."

Robin smiled at him, "Don't ever call me sir. You should know better Will. What do you wish to talk about?"

Will looked around and his smile faded a bit. "Not here, Rob. There are too many people, I think you'd rather here this in private."

Robin turned to look at Regina and she nodded. Ever so gracefully she stood, and the blue silk of her dress seemed to slide along her figure like water as she dismissed the court and led them down the halls into her private chambers. She turned to look at the young steward, "Will this do William?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Please, in private, it is Regina."

"Of course, Your Majesty." She smiled at him, but let it go. There were some things that just weren't worth the argument, and this was one of them.

Robin looked expectantly at Will, "Well, what is it?"

"Umm…" He looked at Regina nervously, and Robin moved to stand next to her, sliding an arm around her waist.

"She stays Will. What is it that you have come to tell me?"

"Robin, I hate to be the one to have to tell you, but the Lord of Locksley has fallen ill, and passed on."

Robin sat down heavily on the nearest sofa and pulled the queen down next to him. He was holding on to her hand and all she could do was look back and forth between the two men, trying to determine what was going on.

"Robin, I truly am sorry. I know that this is a bit of a shock, but we need you to come home. There is no one else, Lord Robert."

"Lord Robert?" Regina looked solemnly towards Robin. "Then that means that the Lord of Locksley was,"

"My father." He brought his eyes up to meet hers. "Yes. I'm afraid I have been keeping a rather large secret my queen."

"I promise you Robin," she gave him a gentle smile and rested her hand on his cheek, "I don't love you any less for being a noble, than I did when I found out you were a thief. As a matter of fact I think I love you more. You tried so hard to distance yourself from your past, and yet you lived here at court with me, everyday and you never complained. Why didn't you just tell me?"

"I didn't want to, I wanted you to love me for me."

"I always have Outlaw."

"Ahem, ahem." Will coughed conspicuously drawing their attention away form one another for a moment, "Robin, we are still going to need you. Someone has to run the lands."

"I will take my father's place Will." He looked down at Regina, who seemed to have her heart breaking in her eyes. "However, I will be taking his place, from here."

A smile broke across the queen's lips and the magic sparked in her eyes. When she looked back across at Will the young man gasped.

"What?"

"Your, your eyes Your Majesty."

"What's wrong with my eyes?" She looked up at Robin who laughed.

"Nothing, my queen. Your magic is showing."  
"Ah." She chuckled and looked back across at Will.

"You've never seen magic?"

"Not like that."

"Let me show you." She closed her eyes and let the magic flow out of her. Since she had spoken with Rumple she had embraced this side of herself and her emotions were now connected to her magic. Both men could see exactly how she felt in the swirls of color that were dancing around the room. When she opened her eyes, she smiled. "Now you've seen it."

"Wow." He stood to leave the room and they both followed him up. "I really must go, I need to return to our home. I have to break the news that you won't be returning after all." He gave Robin a pointed look. "I'm sure Marian will be upset."

"Will, you know I have never cared for Marian the way she cared about me. She needs to move on. Tell her I have found love here, and that I never intend to stray from it."

Will looked at the two of them for a moment before he answered, "Of course My Lord." He reached for the queen and she went willingly to him, when he hugged her he whispered in her ear, "Treat him well My Queen."

She nodded as she backed away. "William."

"Your Majesty." And with a final bow he was gone.

"What did he say to you?"

"He told me to treat you well."

"Really?" He looked surprised. "He shouldn't speak to you like that, you are his queen."

"It doesn't matter Robin, he obviously cares about you quite a lot."

"He should. He is my half-brother."

"Oh?"

"I'm not the only one that just lost a father Regina."

"Robin, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. I haven't spoken to him in many years. He will not be missed. Besides I have a family of my own here now."

"We are your family?"

"If you'll have me Your Majesty." He pulled a glittering ring from one of his pockets. "I had been planning on doing this any day now, but Will seems to have come at exactly the right moment. He didn't get down on one knee, he didn't make a big show out of it, but he was ready.

Tears welled up in the Queen's eyes before he even began to speak, but he kissed them away and started his speech.

"Regina, since the moment that we met I knew you were the one. I fell in love with your heart, your soul and your smile. The love you have for your family and the love that you already show for mine. Not only have we found love, but trust, compassion and a deep friendship. I love us and the way that we live our lives with endless laughter. On top of all the other vows that I intend to make to you one day, I vow now to appreciate how lucky I am to have someone who makes me feel the way you do and to continue to try as hard as I can to make you feel as special as you make me feel. Forever I am truly blessed to be loved by you and am thankful that we found each other. You are the love of my life and you make me happier than I ever could have imagine and more loved than I ever thought possible. That is why on this day, I ask you, my soul mate, to be my wife, my partner and my one True Love."

By the time he finished tears were rolling down her cheeks and she wasn't trying to stop them. "Robin, you are my soul mate. You saved me from something that I never thought I could get away from. You are my partner, my one True Love, and I would love to be your wife."

The whole palace felt it when their lips met. For the strength of their True Love was only intensified by their engagement. Her magic, and the magic of their love, swept through them both and filled the halls with light and color. There was no doubt that a True Love's kiss had taken place, and very few doubted whose it was.

Within seconds there was a pounding on the door and Zelena and Snow came charging in to the room. "What happened?" Zelena was trying to catch her breath from running in her corset, and it came out as a wheeze.

"Nothing happened."

"Mom! It was True Love's kiss, something happened! Are you hurt? Is Robin hurt?" The young princess was skirting around the two adults trying to determine if they were in fact unharmed.

"Little Bird slow down." Regina reached out and grabbed her daughter's arm, pulling her in for a hug. As she did so her sister gasped.

"Is that what I think it is?"

Robin laughed and Regina nodded. "Yes."

"What?" Snow pushed away from her mother, "What is going on?"

Zelena pointed at Regina's left hand. "Your mother has a new ring."

"Oh he asked you! I want to see! He wouldn't show me the ring when he asked me if he could ask you!"

"Snow!" Robin looked embarrassed. He had gone to Snow first. He didn't want to ask for her mother's hand until he had her blessing, but he hadn't been going to tell Regina that.

Regina slipped into his arms, "You asked her first?"

"Yes." He grinned. "I thought it was the proper thing to do. Seeing as you no longer have any parents, and Rumple and Zelena weren't really great options either, I had to ask someone and Snow seemed like the perfect choice."

"That was sweet." She kissed his jaw and opened her arm for Snow to join their embrace. She smiled when Robin's arm closed around them both. She had a family, a proper family, for the first time in her life. She didn't think anything could make her happier.


	19. Chapter 19-Because You Loved Me

**Hey Lovelies! Last one before the epilogue! Let me know what you have thought of this story all together! I have enjoyed writing the characters like this so much, so a big thanks to all of you for reading about them! Enjoy and Happy Reading!**

Chapter 19 – Because You Loved Me

Regina honestly couldn't believe that they had finally gotten here. Robin had asked her to marry him months ago. And now here they were two days before Christmas, getting ready for the wedding. There had been tons of planning, piles of invitations, every little detail needed her approval, and she loved it. She hadn't been allowed to plan anything for her first wedding, and so this time she left nothing out.

They were to be married this afternoon, and Robin was to be crowned King at sundown. Everything was going to go off without a hitch. She could feel it. It was going to be perfect.

"Mother!" Snow came rushing into her bedchambers already dressed in her bridesmaid's dress. "You are still in your nightgown! What are you doing? It's already past noon!"

Regina laughed, "Calm down Little Bird, you forget, I can cheat."

"What?"

"There will be no cheating on getting ready today." Zelena had come in behind Snow, though much quieter than her niece that was for sure. "You will be getting ready for this wedding the old fashioned way. You chose tradition for everything else, I won't let you slip up on this."

She stood next to Snow and together in their dark purple gowns they made quite the sight. There was only one person missing from their little pre-wedding ambush.

"Where is Belle?"

"I'm right here." She came sweeping through the door carrying four rather large bouquets of flowers. Mixed together in three of them were white daisies, purple orchids and blue tipped, white roses. The fourth, and by far the largest of the set was made up of pure white roses and dark purple calla lilies.

She dropped the flowers on the table and her jaw dropped when she saw the bride. "You're still in your nightgown? Regina it is your wedding day!"

"I know that!" She snapped at them all as they started to fuss over her. "I am going to get dressed how I want, when I want, now step back." Her magic rippled through her voice and forced them all to take a step away from her. "Now I want you to close your eyes."

They all looked at her suspiciously.

"Oh just do it!" Three identical grins appeared on their faces, but dutifully they closed their eyes. With a wave of her hand she was surrounded by lavender smoke, and when it cleared she was perfect. She took a moment to inspect herself in the mirror before she spoke to them again.

The ivory corset was covered in thousands of shimmering diamonds, and her skirt fit perfectly over her delicate hips. It splayed out behind her in a perfect half circle and her shoulders were covered with a simmering dust. Her makeup was subtle, and flawless, leaving no question as to why everyone claimed she was "The Fairest of Them All". She had left her hair half down, loose curls framing her face; just the way that she knew Robin loved them. The back of it was pulled into a low bun, curled and styled to appear just slightly messy. She was a beautiful bride.

"Okay." She breathed out in almost a whisper. And she turned ever so slowly so that they got their first sight of her as if in slow motion. She watched their eyes as they took her in and she laughed. "Is this better? Do I look ready now?"

"Mother… You look perfect."

She reached out and cupped her daughter's cheek. "Thank you my dear." She looked up at her sister. "Well, are you angry that I cheated?"

There were tears in Regina's eyes. "Not at all. We couldn't have made you any more beautiful than this the other way. You are radiant."

"Thank you sis."

A knock on the door interrupted their tender moment. Belle smiled as Zelena went to answer it.

"What are you grinning about?"

"Your sister got you a surprise. I'm just assuming that this is it."

Regina studied her curiously until she heard Zelena reenter the room behind her. "Regina." She turned around to face her. "I know that you have done this once already, and I know that you are the queen, but there are some things that every bride should have. And one of them is someone to give her away. So…"

She waved her hand and when Regina saw who was waiting on the other side of the door she almost cried. "Rumple!" She threw herself into his arms and he held her close.

"I know that I am not your father, but if you would like, I would be willing…"

She nodded through her tears, "Of course. I would love for you to give me away."

Snow had followed her mother into the front room and she gasped when she saw who was there. "Wait? I thought you were on Cora's side?"

"I loved Cora Princess, but it was your mother, and your aunt that I fought for. They were the closest thing I had to daughters and I never wanted to hurt them."

"So when you kidnapped my mom, when you helped them launch the curse the first time? Those were all to protect them?"

"In a round about way. Yes."

Snow seemed to ponder it for a moment, but then she smiled. "Okay. If mom and Aunt Z trust you, then I do to."

From somewhere in the palace they heard the clock chime once. One o'clock. Regina moved to the window and watched as the front gates opened and all of their guests flooded through the gates. Many people had traveled far and wide to attend the Queen's wedding. It was the event of the season.

The hour passed quickly and before they knew it the party of five was waiting outside the chapel doors for the music to begin. When it did first Snow and then Zelena made their way down the aisle towards Robin. Belle entered right before Regina, and took her place at the front of the church.

The music changed, everyone stood, and the doors opened. Robin couldn't breathe. She was breathtaking, a simply gorgeous creature as she floated down the aisle towards him on Rumple's arm. When they reached the front he couldn't keep the smile off of his face as he felt the man slide Regina's hand into his.

The ceremony seemed to go by in a haze for him. He couldn't take his eyes off of her, she was his queen, his soul mate, his True Love, and in moments she would be his wife.

"Regina," Robin's eyes shot up to the minister, when he heard him say her name. "Your vows, Your Majesty?"

"Of course," she turned and handed her flowers to Belle, before facing him and taking his hands in her own. "If you came to me with a face I have not seen, with a name I have never heard, I would still know you. Even if centuries separated us, I would still feel you. Somewhere between sand and stardust, through every collapse and creation, there is a pulse that echoes of you and I. In your eyes I have found my home. In your heart I have found my love. In your soul I have found my mate. With you I Am Whole. Full. Alive. You make me strong. You let me cry. You are my last breath and my every heartbeat. I am yours. You are mine. Of this I am certain. You are lodged in my heart. The small key is lost. You must stay forever. You are my inspiration and my soul's fire. You are the magic of my days. You've helped me to laugh. You've taught me to love. You provided a safe place for me; unlike I've ever known. You freed me to sing my own song. You are more of an amazement to me each day I rediscover you. You are my greatest love. I am yours. You are mine. Of this I am certain. You are lodged in my heart. The small key is lost. Robin, you must stay forever."

She finished with tears in her eyes and the entire congregation could see just how much he meant to her. Robin smiled at her and then he made his vows.

"Love isn't perfect. It isn't a fairytale, or a storybook, and it doesn't always come easy. Love is overcoming obstacles, facing challenges, fighting to be together, holding on and never letting go. It is a short word, easy to spell, difficult to define, and impossible to live without. Love is work. But most of all, it is realizing that every hour, every minute, every second of it was worth it because we did it together. I didn't fall in love with you Regina. I walked into love with you, with my eyes wide open, choosing to take every step along the way. I do believe in fate, and destiny, but I also believe we are only fated to do the things we'd do anyway. And I'd choose you; in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred different worlds, in any version of reality, I'd find you, and I'd choose you."

By now they were both crying. Tears streaming silently down both of their faces, they turned to look at the minister, who smiled.

"Do you…"

But he didn't even have the chance to finish the question before they interrupted him, together. "We do."

"Then by the power vested in me I now pronounce you man and wife. You may…"

But he didn't have a chance to finish that sentence either. They had already leaned in and their lips met in True Love's kiss. A flash of light and their fate was sealed. Two souls were once again bound together as one.

The wedding had gone off perfectly and the party that followed was wonderful. Robin was crowned King and together the Royal family, including Zelena, was presented together for the first time.

The kingdom fell into an easy grace after that. There were the occasional monsters that would attack, and there were always other Kings that had to be dealt with, but nothing that compared to the level of chaos that had ensued at Cora's hand.

A year went by, and then two, they were happy. Regina had everything that she had ever wanted, but something was missing. After a time she went back to the one place she always seemed to find her answers.

When she entered the cave she could hear him talking to himself. Something he seemed to be doing more and more of the longer he remained locked up here. They had tried to leave him free after the wedding, but he had insisted on coming back here. He claimed that if he were not locked up the future would change, and that none of them wanted that.

"Rumple?" She moved forward into the light of the one torch on the wall. "Rumple, it's me."

"I know who you are my dear queen. Is it really time for this already?"

"Time for what Rumple?"

He laughed, "You have no idea why you are here do you?"

"Not really." She admitted. "For some reason I just felt that I needed to see you."

"You did my dear, because though you may not have realized it yet something big is coming. Something with the power to change everything, again."

"What are you talking about?"

"You are unhappy, Regina. Why?"

"I'm not unhappy!" She started to protest, but he cut her off.

"Don't lie to me Regina, I can see past all of that. Why are you unhappy? You have a wonderful husband, and a daughter that adores you, a kingdom that worships at your feet. What more could you possibly want my dear?" He was grinning to himself, he knew why she was here, even if she claimed to have no idea.

"What's missing Regina?" He prompted her. "What don't you have?"

When she looked up her eyes were filled with tears. "I don't know Rumple! But you do! Why can't you just tell me?" In her anger the fire in the torch burned brighter and magic flew from her fingertips.

"Having trouble controlling yourself dearie?"

"A bit, yes. What does that have to do with anything?"

"Oh, why don't you take a look inside yourself and see."

She let her magic wash over her, she felt it flood through her and then swell inside of her. She gasped. "What was that?"

His eyes sparkled in the firelight. "Why, what you are missing of course."

"But, but what?" And then it hit her, exactly what she was feeling and how her magic was reacting. Her eyes grew wide and she stared at him. "Really?"

He smiled, "Yes, really. And though you will always be "The Fairest of Them All" she will have a nickname as well."

"What is it?"

"She will be The Savior."

"The Savior? Why do we need a savior?"

"I told you when you first arrived dearie, something is coming. Something that is going to change everything, again."

"What can we do?"

"We can't do anything." He reached through the bars and pressed a hand to the queen's abdomen. "But she can."

"How?"

"She's the product of True Love dearie, and of soul mates. There is nothing more powerful than that…"


	20. Epilogue - I Hope You Dance

**Ok lovelies! This is it! The end of Everything Has Changed! Let me know what you think! And if you haven't go check out some of my other stories! They are bound to get more attention now that this one is finished. Thanks for reading all of this! And Enjoy!**

Epilogue – I Hope You Dance

She hadn't breathed a word of what Rumple had said about their child to Robin. She told him she was pregnant and he was thrilled. In fact the entire kingdom rejoiced when they found out that the Queen was expecting a baby.

The months passed quickly for everyone but Regina. She felt the child, and her magic growing inside of her, and with it a sense of dread. She knew she should have told someone, Zelena maybe, or Belle, what Rumple had told her, but now she was nearing her daughter's birth and she couldn't bring herself to ruin it for everyone.

She went into labor in the morning, and by mid afternoon the kingdom had a new princess. Robin had rushed to his wife's side as fast as he could get there, and he had held her hand, as she brought their daughter into the world.

"What's her name Your Majesties?"

Regina shook her head. "Not yet, She will have a proper presentation and coronation ceremony in a few days time."

The doctor nodded and he left the new parents alone with their precious princess. Over the course of the rest of the afternoon their family and the closest of their friends made their way to the Queen's chambers to see the new princess. Everyone begged for her name, but Regina refused to tell.

Robin had told her that she was to pick. He didn't care what they called her as long as he could pronounce it and she had just laughed. Assuring him that she would choose something normal, and yet fitting for their little girl.

Now as she lay there holding her daughter, running her fingers over the soft dark blonde curls on her head, she thought about the name she had picked. It was perfect. Befitting of a princess, and worth of a Savior.

The next day Regina used her magic to heal herself completely and she was back on her feet. Overseeing all of the preparations for her newborn's coronation. It was a big to do, and there were many different formalities that had to be discussed. Including the line of succession.

"Mother." She heard Snow call from behind her and turned, holding the baby in her arms, to greet her elder daughter. "I wish to speak to you and to Robin, about the coronation ceremony."

"Okay, what is that matter?"

"Nothing, it's just that I think the baby should be first in line. Not me."

"Snow. You were born to rule this kingdom. It is your right to do so. I will not allow you to step down. Not at thirteen. That is too big of decision for you to make right now. If you still feel this way come your eighteenth birthday we can discuss it again. Until then you will remain the Crown Princess of this kingdom. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes Mother." She was looking at the ground. "I'm not going to change my mind though." She mumbled under her breath.  
"What was that young lady?"  
"Nothing."

"I thought not." She pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Now, go on, I'm sure there is something around here you can help out with."

"Yes Mother."

The rest of the day went off without incident, but Regina could feel it coming. The sense of dread that had been growing since she had found out she was expecting was worse than ever. They wouldn't make it through the rest of the week without something happening. Whatever Rumple had seen all those months ago was getting closer. There was magic in the air, and it wasn't her own.

The ceremony started off wonderfully. Everyone got a chance to see the princess, and the fairies had arrived to bestow their gifts upon her. Robin couldn't help but notice that his wife was growing more and more anxious as the day went on.

"Regina? Are you all right? You seem awfully nervous?"

She smiled sweetly at him and nodded her head to one of the fairies that was now hovering over the Princess. "I'm fine, dear. Really."

He wrapped an arm around her waist as they stood next to the bassinet that had been placed on the dais in the throne room. "I love you My Queen."

"And I you My Thief."

"You do remember that I am the King now?"

"You'll always be a thief to me outlaw, for you stole my heart away."

"I can't steal what's already been given to me."

"Touché." She grinned. "It's time." She reached down into the bassinet and scooped up their tiny princess. Wrapped in pale purple and silver fabric, she was a pretty little thing.

"Family, friends, fairies, and guests, the King and I would like to thank you for coming here today. We are pleased to announce the birth of our daughter Princess…"

And the doors to the throne room burst open. She made her way towards them faster than should have been possible. She blasted the guards out of the way and stopped at the foot of the thrones. "Sorry, I'm late. Please continue my dear, I'm sure everyone is just dying to hear my granddaughter's name."

"Mother… what are you doing here?" Regina clutched the baby to her chest and Robin wrapped an arm around her. "What do you want Mother?"

"I told you that I would be back darling, and now I am. I told you that one day I would take your kingdom, and everything that you hold dear. So please, what is her name?"

"I won't tell you Mother. I won't put her in that sort of danger."

"Oh? And what danger is that?"

"The kind that let's you gain power over people."

"I don't need that power my dear. For I have my own. I am cursing your kingdom, my darling, for until I reign over it, there will be no escaping. No one can leave, no one can enter. Your kingdom is sealed off from the rest of the universe my darling, that is, unless you hand over your throne to me."

"Never."

"Oh? Well then what are you going to do my dear? You may be "The Fairest Of Them All", but I guarantee that I am more powerful than you."

"Haven't you learned yet Mother," she flexed her hand underneath of the baby and shifted slightly so she had and angle on her mother, "You should never underestimate me."

The magic shot from her hand and struck her mother square, but it was too late. Cora had disappeared in a cloud of blood red smoke.

The room was chaos, everyone was starting to panic, but Regina remained calm. She was the eye of the storm. Her magically enhanced voice was still enough to be heard over the clamor of the crowd, and her shrill whistle was enough to silence everyone.

"There is no need for panic. I knew that something was going to happen today. I didn't know what exactly, or who would cause it, but I knew that today our lives would change forever." She stepped forward and lifted her baby girl out in front of her. "Besides we have something that my Mother knew nothing about."

She turned and smiled at Robin, "I am sorry that I kept this a secret from you, but I just realized why I did. If I was the only one that knew then there was no chance of it getting back to Cora." He nodded to her in forgiveness and she continued. "When I first discovered I was pregnant I was in the presence of Rumplestiltskin, and he told me that something big was coming to change our lives. At first I thought it was the baby, and then he told me something else. Many of you know that I am called, "The Fairest Of Them All", well it turns out my unborn daughter already had a nickname too. They say that we will call her "The Savior". I'd like you all to meet your new princess." She lifted the bitty princess as high as she could and she smiled down at everyone. "Our daughter Princess Emma…"


	21. The Playlist

When I started this story I made an outline" and each chapter title was a part of that outline. This entire story has a playlist that goes with it, sort of, the song "The Stairs" by Reba McEntire was the inspiration for the entire thing. And if you included that one as the first song on the playlist you will understand why, having read the story.

After that there were a number of songs that I thought over for the title before I decided on Everything Has Changed. The Taylor Swift-Ed Sheeran song says , "All I know is we said hello, and your eyes looked like coming home, all I know is a simple name, and Everything Has Changed." Which was the entire concept for the story.

The first chapter "At The Beginning" is from the movie "Anastasia". It starts out exactly the same way as my story, it says: "We were strangers starting out on a journey, never dreaming what we'd have to go through. Now here we are, and I'm suddenly standing, at the beginning with you." It's a duet that foreshadows the entire story.

The second chapter is "Bruises", inspired by the Train duet with Ashley Monroe. I took this literally instead of figuratively like the song suggest, but they say, "Everybody looses, we've all got bruises." And that is exactly how Regina feels.

Chapter three is "Two Sparrows In A Hurricane" by Tanya Tucker. It says "It's just a matter of time, they'll spread their wings, and fly. Like two sparrows in a hurricane, trying to find their way. With a head full of dreams and faith that move anything." This is a love song, but for me it showed how strong both Snow and Regina were in their current situation.

Chapter four was "Everything That Glitters" by Dan Seals. This is a rodeo story, about a woman that leaves her husband and daughter behind, but I see Zelena and Regina in it too, and that's how I used it. It talks about her rhinestones and her sequins and then it says, "And oh the crowd will always love you, but as for me I've come to know, everything that glitters, is not gold." I think that's how Regina sees Zelena in this chapter.

Chapter five, "Cold Like That" is by Garth Brooks and boy is it all about Cora. "The high roads a little too high to take, I wanna walk a mile each way. Wanna take a page from your guiltless book, wanna let myself off the hook today. Let my conscience have a break. I wish I could be cold like that, then it wouldn't hurt so bad."

Chapter six is "I Heard Her Cryin'" another great old one by Reba McEntire. It directly inspired the ending of that chapter. "Then a sound rose above the slamming door, and broken dishes all around the floor. So loud it made us stop, it was the sound of a tear drop." The song plays out pretty much the same way my chapter does.

Chapter seven was "Lessons Learned" by the great Carrie Underwood. Regina has a lot of the same regrets that Carrie does in the song, "There's some things that I regret, some words I wish had gone unsaid...some pages turned, some bridges burned, but there were lessons learned."

Chapter eight was "Believing", a duet featuring Charles Esten and Lennon and Maisy Stella from the ABC show Nashville. Their message is perfect for Regina and those she loves. "When I get the feeling that my prayers have hit the ceiling and those darker days when my faith has lost all meaning. You keep me believing."

Chapter nine was a little more fun. There is an Aladdin reference in there that I particularly like, and the son is "Don't Let Me Be Lonely" by The Band Perry. It works with what Robin tells Lacey, to make sure that Regina isn't by herself through all of this. "I need a saving grace, a hiding place. I don't have forever or time to waste, so don't let me be lonely, no don't let me be lonely."

Chapter ten, "She's Everything" is a love song by Brad Paisley, that I truly think would be perfect for modern day Regina and Robin. "She's a fighter when she's mad and she's a lover when she's loving. And she's everything I ever wanted, and everything I need. I talk about her I go on and on and on cause she's everything to me."

Chapter Eleven is a power ballad that fits the chapter like a glove. "Brave" by Idina Menzel, has Regina written all over it. "This is the moment, I stand here on my own. If this is my rite of passage that somehow leads me home, I might be afraid, but it's my turn to be brave."

Chapter twelve is Regina's comeback song. "Don't Put Dirt On My Grave Just Yet" by Hayden Panettiere is perfect, she says, "Well I'm not going no where, I can live all my prayers, 'cause I'm done playing nice, I'm done running from life, 'cause think that you got me scared...I get stronger with every step. I've got a whole lot more than a little bit left." It's a perfect fit for where the young queen is in the story.

Chapter thirteen "Demons" is the Imagine Dragons song. Everybody faces their inner demons in the chapter and it's kind of laying out what each one feels. "But with the beast inside there's no where we can hide...when you feel my heat, look into my eyes, it's where my demons hide."

Chapter fourteen "Not Ready To Make Nice" by the Dixie Chicks is Regina's message to her mother and to Leopold. "I'm not ready to make nice, I'm not ready to back down. I'm still mad as hell, and I don't have time to go round and round and round. It's too late to make it right. Probably wouldn't if I could, cause I'm mad as hell cant bring myself to do what it is you think I should."

Chapter fifteen is "You Haven't Seen The Last Of Me" by Cher and that is the warning that Cora gives Regina. "I'll be back, back on my feet. This is far from over, you haven't seen the last of me."

Chapter sixteen is the second song on the list from Carrie Underwood. This one was called "Little Toy Guns". "But it ain't a pretty picture tonight. Mom and Daddy just won't stop it, fighting at the drop of the faucet. Cuts through the walls catastrophic and she's caught in the crossfire...I wish words were like little toy guns, no pain, no hurt, no one just a bang bang rolling off your tongue."

Chapter seventeen "Safe and Sound" is the Megan Hilty version of the Taylor Swift song from "The Hunger Games". From it I pulled two direst lines, "I'll never let you go." And "Don't leave me here alone." From the first verse. I think that from Robin to Regina it is perfect for what had just happened.

Chapter eighteen is the George Strait classic from the movie "Pure Country", called "I Cross My Heart." That is the type of love that they share in my story. "Our love is unconditional, we knew it from the start...I cross my heart, and promised too, give all I've got to give to make all your dreams come true. In all the world, you'll never find, a love as true, as mine."

Chapter nineteen is the Celine Dion classic "Because You Loved Me." Their wedding deserved a classic love song! "You were strength when I was weak, you were my voice when I couldn't speak, you were my eyes when I couldn't see, you saw the best there was in me. Lifted me up when I couldn't reach, you gave me faith cause you believed. I'm everything I am, because you loved me."

The epilogue is Lee Ann Womack's "I Hope You Dance". To celebrate their life together, the birth of their daughter and everything they want for her future, I chose this song. "Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance, and when you get the choice, to sit it out or dance. I hope you dance, I hope you dance."


End file.
